Reopened Chapters
by PepsiCola541
Summary: Annabeth stopped going to Camp Half-Blood four years ago, when she was twelve. At sixteen, her mother finally wants her to come back to New York with her for some unknown reason, and Annabeth realizes that the chapter of her life that was closed long ago will finally be reopened- along with the chance meeting of a certain raven haired boy. Rated T, but nothing's that serious, guys.
1. The Move

**Chapter 1- The Move**

It was hard to explain what Annabeth felt at that moment. She felt as blank as the wall before her, stripped of her identity as the wall was of its wallpaper. Bits of plaster still clung, obstinate, to the side of what used to be her room, as if trying hold strong to the past.

Annabeth was moving. For the first time after the divorce, her mother had decided suddenly that yes, she did, in fact, want her daughter with her for more than just summer vacation. Less than a week ago, when Annabeth's mother had dropped in, unexpectedly, to the Chases' mansion, she had just walked into Annabeth's fully postered and wallpapered room and blatantly announced, "Pack your bags. You're going to New York." No warning, no explanation. Just a clipped tone and a slam of her door that shook the iPhone right out of Annabeth's hand.

Her mother had left the house that very evening, telling Annabeth later in a phone call that she "just couldn't stand to be in the same state, let alone in the same house, with Mr. Chase". That's what Annabeth's mother called her father: Mr. Chase. Like there had been no history between them at all, as if he was a stranger.

Likewise, Annabeth hardly knew her mother; she only knew facts. Her name was Athena Olympia. She was a lawyer at a very prestigious practice in upstate New York. She was a very distant person who always worked exactly to a schedule; for example, she demanded that Annabeth update her on her life on the phone every Thursday at 6:30 PM, sharp-Eastern time.

It was very inconvenient for Annabeth, since she got out of school at exactly 3:30, and had to ride home with her stepmother and two step-siblings listening in to her conversation, but Athena didn't care. To her, the world needed to conform to her schedule, not the other way around. If Annabeth's best friend, Thalia, wanted to go to the mall that afternoon, Annabeth always responded with a clipped "can't" and a halfhearted wave since she had to talk for exactly one hour about whether her grades were above average, or if she had gone above and beyond what everyone else was doing, because she should be nothing less than perfect. As far as Athena was concerned, if Annabeth was her daughter, she had to be perfect. If Annabeth ever failed to meet Athena's standards, the blame was always placed on Mr. Chase: "Once again, it's your father's fault for ruining you."

Of course, Annabeth's never-there father wasn't perfect, either; after the divorce he had married a petite Asian woman with permed hair and too much make up. She responded to everything Annabeth said with a drawling "Honey, go ask your father," and then proceeded to give Annabeth a once-over and look at her like she was gum on her shoe.

Then there were the twins. They also took on the same drawling voice her stepmother had and did all kinds of crimes: purposely breaking the vase, eating their mother's stash of hidden chocolate, squirting her stepmother's specially formulated shampoo all across the marble hallways and maplewood staircase, and smearing her ruby red lipstick all over the mirrors and white couches; then they ran to their mother, all the while screaming, "Mama, look what Annabeth did!"

Of course, what (semi-evil) stepmother would believe her stepchild over her real child? Besides, Annabeth's stepmother hated Annabeth with a passion; she had even gone as far to beat her, once, when she found out that her Tiffany earrings had been flushed down the toilet.

To make matters worse, Annabeth's father always took her stepmother's side, never even hesitating to think that Annabeth may have just been wronged. He was always too busy to care, anyway, always away on business trips (Annabeth had a feeling, by a thong she had found in his suitcase that did not look like her stepmother's, that the definition of these so called "business trips" was a little stretched); he was never in the house, leaving Annabeth's stepmother to take care of things.

It wasn't that Annabeth was really sad to be leaving California, especially her stepmother and the twins, but she did have a life there. Thalia was her best friend, the one who had been with her through it all, the one who had lent her shoulder to cry on, the one who understood everything. She didn't want to leave her.

But Thalia consoled her that everything would be alright, that they would FaceTime and call and text every single day. They were best friends forever- that title alone had to carry some weight.

Thalia promised to update Annabeth on everything in their town and high school, even about Luke. Annabeth's ex-boyfriend.

Annabeth scowled. Of all the people Annabeth didn't want to miss in her life, Luke was the fist person on her list. He had broken her heart. No, actually, that was an understatement- he had completely obliterated it, ripped it in half, smashed it to pieces, and thrown it in a sewer ditch.

She would never admit it to Thalia, although Thalia already knew: she had loved him. He had only wanted her for her body, she found out later. Nothing serious had happened, but she had found out what he really desired when they were driving home after the Homecoming dance the year before. He had parked under a sycamore tree, the very one they had shared their first kiss under.

He had unbuckled his seatbelt, then hers. Then he had proceeded to make out with her. Soon his hands were making their way up her dress, pulling it off, when she pushed him away and pulled back, crying out, "No, Luke!" He got angry, glaring at her, and told her to get out of the car, that they were over, and that she was a "dirty little whore" when she hadn't done anything at all. For months she had been hopelessly confused and utterly heartbroken, desperate for answers she could not grasp. She had only really stopped loving him a few weeks ago. The stabbing pain had finally subsided to just a dull ache, but it was still there, and it still hurt.

And Annabeth, staring at her blank wall, saw her life flash, swimming, before her eyes, as tears fell freely down her face; she was so torn, since she didn't want to leave her home, but at the same time so desperately needed to fly, needed to get out of this cage. One of the things that hurt the most was that there would be no trace of her left after she was gone; her room would be transformed into a play room for the twins.

She turned, wiped her face, and picked up a cardboard box filled with her things. Athena had ordered a car to bring Annabeth to the airport, and her other things would arrive later via moving van.

She stopped before nearing the doorway of her room, eyeing a box titled "Camp Memories" in black Sharpie. She knelt, setting the box she had carried down, and opened the flaps of the suspicious box.

Pictures. Half a million, it seemed. They were a blur of orange t-shirts and cutoffs whose owners she hadn't seen in forever. She hadn't been to Camp Half-Blood in four years, since she was twelve.

She stopped at one photo. A lanky, tanned boy with raven black hair and startling green-blue eyes had his arm draped around her shoulders. He smiled, his eyes narrowed at her begrudging smirk. Her hand was halfway in front of her face, like she hadn't particularly wanted a picture taken.

What was his name? She wondered. He was vaguely familiar, but she just couldn't place him. Flipping the picture over, she saw words on the back. After a while, with a little effort against her dyslexia, she read,

"Your best friend, Percy Jackson. You better not forget me, Wise Girl (:"

Oh, her mind registered. Percy. Yes, she remembered him. They had been close that summer, going on adventures all on their own, along with his friend Grover, until she had to leave. She remembered, with a wince, how she had promised to see him the next year, but had never shown.

He probably doesn't even remember, she assured herself. I didn't remember him.

She felt a little guilty at the thought, but she pushed the feeling away. It wasn't my fault, she insisted. Everyone changes.

But, as she closed the box and picked it up, she found herself hoping, slightly, that the lanky boy would remember her. She also realized, with a flip of her stomach, that she felt a little flutter in her gut. A flutter she hadn't felt in a year, ever since Luke had dumped her.

Stop, she warned herself. There you go again, raising your hopes up. Remember Luke.

Still, her heart throbbed a little faster against her ribs. She opened the door, holding the box against her chest, all the while wondering against her will what the future would hold for her in New York.


	2. The Tour

**Chapter 2- The Tour**

As Annabeth finally got off the airplane, she got a sensation of exhilaration that she couldn't explain. She felt like she was finally free.

Of course, when Annabeth finally spotted her mother, in her black Jaguar with her arms folded, Annabeth's gut flipped. Rule number two for when dealing with Athena was to never leave her waiting. Rule number one was to never contradict her or ever, if you valued your life, tell her she was wrong. If she said that Annabeth was late when it was the airline that had only had a slight delay, and that it was not actually Annabeth's fault, Annabeth only replied with a respective "I'm sorry, ma'am."

Athena tipped her nose in the air and turned back to the wheel, turning on the ignition. Annabeth smiled inwardly, because that was how Athena showed her approval.

The car ride was mostly silent. Annabeth held her small bag of must need items (iPhone and its charger, assorted nonfiction, a small wad of cash, and a change of clothes) on her lap, for fear of squashing the perfect leather seats or leaving a mysterious stain; Annabeth had only had that happen once in her life, when the twins had poured salsa into her purse.

"Was your ride to the airport satisfactory?" Athena asked suddenly, in a slightly clipped tone.

Annabeth jumped, startled. She wasn't sure why, but being with Athena- especially alone with her- always made her nervous. "Y-yes, ma'am," she stammered, off-guard.

Athena eyed her for a second before turning her steely gaze to the road once more. Annabeth desperately wished for some music or something that would fill the awkward silence that was now consuming her.

Once the car stopped, Annabeth halfway felt like kissing the ground outside. She grabbed her bag and shut the door with a gentle slam. When Athena's back was turned, Annabeth tried to wipe her fingerprints off the sleek black body of the car before following Athena up the intimidating staircase to the lobby of their apartment building.

When they arrived in the lobby, Annabeth stopped and gaped. It was beautiful.

The tall ceiling vortexed into a sharp arch, which was slightly domed at the top. There were pillars all around the room, ivy climbing around them. There was a grand fireplace with books in pristine white bookshelves surrounding it on three sides. All Annabeth could think was how she could possibly read all of them.

"Annabeth," Athena placed a hand on her shoulder and she jumped again, looking up into the cold metal-gray eyes.

"Sorry, ma'am," she replied, blushing furiously and looking sheepishly at the ground.

Annabeth had been to New York before, but she had never been in her mother's penthouse apartment; she had always stayed with her mother in Athena's summer home, a small cottage in upstate New York.

Finally, they arrived on the right floor. Athena's heels sunk into the lush hallway carpet as she led Annabeth to their apartment. With a swipe of her room card, the door let out a quiet "beep" and they walked in.

For the second time in a ten minute period, Annabeth gaped. If the lobby had been amazing, she didn't even know what to think about Athena's penthouse.

There were huge windows on two sides of the living room, sliding glass doors that led to a patio on the balcony and beheld a startling view. Vanilla colored couches that seriously upped the ones at the Chases' mansion were placed at angles in front of a fireplace. Candles adorned the mantle, leaving a nice papaya-like scent throughout the room. The walls were a deep cranberry and had pictures along them, all of famous architecture like the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Books lined the walls in bookshelves next to the fireplace, but Annabeth had a feeling she would not be reading these; in golden letters the books were titled_ How To Always Outsmart A Prosecutor_ and _The Lawyer's Handbook_, to name a few.

It was a few moments later Annabeth realized Athena wasn't in the room; she heard her heels clacking against the shiny marble floor and hurried to follow her. Athena had her arms crossed against her chest, and her lips were pursed. Annabeth gulped.

"This is your room. Since I'll be out of the house most of the time, you can just stay in here. You don't need to wander the rest of the house." Annabeth wanted to protest, but Athena had already walked inside, so Annabeth just followed.

As she usually was, Athena was right. Annabeth's room resembled a large dorm room, complete with another sliding glass door that led to a balcony and a small kitchen that consisted of a minifridge, microwave, dishwasher, coffee-maker, an even a full-sized oven.

"I've already made sure you have enough food, and the cabinets and minifridge are completely stocked. However, if you feel as if you need more, there's more inventory in the closet next to the kitchen, and you can always get Argus, our handyman, to get you some more groceries." Annabeth nodded. "As you can see, you have a television, a Wii, and an Xbox, along with a few games Argus thought were suitable. I have already made sure that the television is programmed with Netflix and cable, so you may watch a movie if you have any free time." A couch and a couple of bean bags were placed in front of the flatscreen beside a wooden coffee table, where a stack of teen magazines sat.

"Over there," Athena pointed to Annabeth's new bed, "is obviously where you will sleep. Once your things arrive, you should organize them by the basket organizers under your bed. Also, put your books on the bookshelf. I don't like disorganization." She gave Annabeth a warning look before turning to two other doors on the side of the room.

"Here is the bathroom and a walk in closet- I had Argus pick you out a few clothes so you won't have to go naked in the next few weeks." Annabeth laughed slightly, mistaking her words for a joke, earning another silencing look from Athena. "If you need anything, call Argus. He's your go-to guy for everything. He'll drive you everywhere you want to go. If you want take-out, call him and he'll deliver it for you. Also, I don't mind if you invite friends over or go shopping- you don't have to ask, but do send me a text that says that you've left. Then I'll just know to call Argus if I want to know where you are. I won't be in the house at all during the day; I usually arrive home at about five. You're starting school in two weeks, when summer ends. Argus has your supply list, and you can go shopping with him, let him do it by himself, or you can just order everything online. Here is a credit card and your house card." She handed Annabeth the cards. "The credit card has no real limits, and I don't care what you buy as long as it isn't too out of reach. Any questions?"

Annabeth, caught off guard again, stared at Athena blankly. "Um...what school will I be going to?"

"Goode High School, on the eastern side of town. I'm sure you will do fine. You better." Her eyes flashed in warning. "Also, don't forget to buy things for your bed, like sheets and other bedding. If you need anything washed, just put it in the hamper in your closet and the maid will pick it up. She comes every day at 2:00 in the afternoon to do the laundry and clean the house."

Annabeth didn't think that the immaculate house needed any cleaning, but she just nodded.

"Alright. Well, I suppose that is all. Please don't call me at work unless it is a dire emergency, if you were dying or in the emergency room. If you want to talk, my only off time is the usual, 6:30 on Thursdays." And with that, Athena walked out of the room, her heels clicking against the marble.

How long she stood there, just staring at her new room, Annabeth didn't know. She turned to the bathroom and walked in. Under a lighted vanity mirror were two deep granite sinks. There were Bath and Body Works bags on the counter, holding a motherload of assorted products. There were also bags filled with new makeup, which made Annabeth scowl. Under the sink were rolls of toilet paper, feminine necessities, razors, and clean towels. There was a large granite bathtub, with power jets and half a million settings, and also a separate shower stall besides.

Annabeth had never really had something as nice as this, not even at the Chase's mansion. Maybe it was just the sense of calling it her own. She felt grateful for it all, even for the girly things like nail polish (she did find herself liking a light tan color) and all the makeup which she didn't think she would ever use.

She smiled against her will, because she had realized how much she really had going for her. She didn't have any friends yet, but that was okay because she was new and had time for that. An even if she didn't make any friends, she was used to being a loner. She didn't have Thalia, which hurt, but she had brought herself to tolerate the pain.

She ventured into the walk-in closet and found a billion pairs of skinny jeans, all different brands, all in her size. She scoured the shirts, a few too frilly for her taste, but overall they were alright.

But then she saw a hint of orange, pushed all the way to the back of the rod.

She cautiously reached for it, knowing what it was before she'd even seen it completely. "Camp Half-Blood" was written in black Greek-style text, under which a black pegasus was pictured. Signatures adorned every square inch of the fabric, most saying the usual "Have a great school year!" or "Miss you!" or even a suspicious greeting of "Eat Slugs" by a girl named Clarisse. And then, right above the place where her heart would be, was written "Percy Jackson, your best friend, was here, and will stay here forever in your heart."

A moment later, she realized she had stopped breathing. Her heart pounded in her ears and the guilt was increasingly becoming too much to bear. She squeezed her eyes closed, telling herself repeatedly that he was gone. He would have forgotten her.

She ran out of the closet, leaving the old t-shirt swinging on its hanger. Stop, she ordered herself. A new sensation was blossoming in her stomach (or was it her heart?), and she did and didn't like it at the same time. She knew that she had a tendency to be too trusting, and she hated that about herself. She had broken her own heart too many times, with her father, and Luke, and her stepmother and the twins, hoping that they would love and accept her when they never did. They never would.

A lump rose in her throat and she tried to no avail to swallow it. She didn't want to cry, especially in this strange new place she would soon call her home, but she somehow felt equally at peace with herself. She could be alone, finally, with no twins screaming her blame or any stepmother telling her, again, how very disappointing she was.

She was free, but why did she feel so utterly alone? Why did everything have to be so bittersweet for her?

She shook her head, trying to clear it. She would be alright. She would make new friends and be able to cope.

She halfway wanted to explore her room some more, but with the t-shirt mocking her in her closet and not enough sound to distract her from her thoughts, she needed to escape from this unfamiliar place. Grabbing both of the cards Athena had given her along with her phone, she exited her room and then the penthouse itself. She walked down the busy street, heading nowhere. She must have been PMSing or something because she suddenly started to sob, making people look at her strangely. She wasn't looking where she was going and her eyesight was blurry. She didn't care, she didn't care, she kept telling herself, and halfway hoped her mind would believe it. But she did care; she cared too much. She started running. She had to run away from her thoughts, away from her past, away from her future. She was overwhelmed about everything and she couldn't handle it.

It was only when she ran into a chest, someone who obviously worked out by how hard their abdomen was. A tanned hand reached out to steady her before she fell, and they guided her fall. She didn't dare look at their face because she already recognized the familiar smell, like salty sea air. She squeezed her eyes closed, hoping with all her might that it was a dream.

She cringed at Percy Jackson's concerned, puzzled, and slightly breathless voice. "Annabeth...?"


	3. Chance Meetings

**Chapter 3- Chance Meetings **

Percy thought it would be just a regular day for him.

Wake up at noon. Eat his mom's world famous cold, blue pancakes (cold because they'd been sitting in the fridge since 8:00 that morning). Go for a run around the busy city. Take detours only a real New Yorker could discover and be able to navigate. Grab a blueberry milkshake at an ice cream place. Drop into Gamestop for a bit, mess around with the cashier who just happened to be his best friend, Grover. Wait until Grover's shift ended, then stop at the Starbucks next door. Ponder how the both of them would ever get a girlfriend.

It was odd, very odd, since it had only been that morning when Grover had commented, "Remember that Annabeth chick? From summer camp?"  
It had only taken about ten seconds for Percy to reply. "Oh, yeah. That stuck-up Chase girl."  
Grover smirked, narrowing his eyes slightly at his best friend. "Yeah, that stuck-up Chase girl that you so obviously crushed on."  
Percy looked appalled. "Me? Like the Chase girl? What, are you insane?"

"No," Grover said, stirring his blonde. "Just speaking the truth."

Percy deadpanned. "The girl 's big inspiration was _architecture_. She'd always argue with me. She had the biggest ego I'd ever seen, and she-" He stopped himself before he said, _she left me without as much as a goodbye_. "She was just so...annoying," he finished, notching a finger with every point he made.

Grover looked him over for a second before putting his hands up in surrender. "All right," he said. "If you say so."

"I do," Percy replied, before turning their attention to a pretty mocha-skinned girl with caramel colored hair, only to watch her latch her arm onto a burly asian guy seconds later.

Grover sighed. "The least stereotypical guys always get the pretty girls."

Percy nodded, still staring at the couple. For a second, he could have sworn the girl turned into the Chase girl.

He choked on his caramel cappuchino.

After a few pats on the back and a concerned, "What's wrong?" from Grover, Percy just muttered he was fine, said goodbye to Grover, and left Starbucks in a hurry, walking nowhere.

_What just happened?_ he asked himself, coming up empty. Why- how- had she infiltrated his mind so fast? He hadn't even seen the girl in about four years, so how could she have so much power over him?  
He didn't know. He didn't want to know. He most certainly didn't care, he didn't care, he didn't care; chanting it in his brain made him feel more powerful, more in control of his feelings. He'd probably never even see her-

His thoughts were interrupted by a punch that momentarily knocked the wind out of him.  
No, wait. It wasn't a punch. A person had bumped into him.  
A curly-headed blonde person.

At first, Percy thought his eyes were playing tricks on him again. _You're going wonky_, Percy told himself. And yeah, he sort of was.  
He blinked. Once, twice. Her appearance didn't waver.

Deciding if it wasn't really her, he could deal with the consequences, Percy asked, hoping he was only breathless from her force, "Annabeth...?"  
She cringed. Visibly cringed. _Am I that bad looking that she can't even look at me?_ he felt a slight pang in his chest, and before he could stop to wonder why, he found himself saying, "You know, you can look at me. I'm not Medusa."

He was about to facepalm himself for blurting out something so stupid when her face relaxed. She looked up at him, smiling softly before awkwardly backing away from his chest.

"Sorry," she muttered. She looked at the ground, sniffing. He realized she had been crying.

His harsh demeanor crumbled. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked. He definitely wasn't concerned, but what are you supposed to say to a girl who's crying?  
She wiped her face hurriedly, as if trying not to make it known that she had been sobbing. "Um, yeah," she finally responded.

Percy narrowed his eyes at her, skeptical. "Obviously." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Hey, are you, uh, new here?"

"Well, I've obviously been here before, for summer camp," Annabeth replied, "But I suppose you could call me a newbie."

He kept walking, all the while feeling her eyes on his back. Sighing, he motioned for her to follow him. "What do you say I give you a tour?" he asked her, tossing a smirk over his shoulder before continuing to walk.

However, after about five paces, he realized she wasn't following him. She stood right where she had been for the last minute and a half, raising a challenging eyebrow.

"You expect me to follow a complete stranger?" she called.

He furrowed his brow. "I'm not a complete stranger," he countered, feeling hurt for some odd reason he was afraid to define. "I'm your best friend."

She scoffed, stepping towards him. "That's not fair to me," she said. "I think I would know if you were my best friend."

For some odd reason, he suddenly felt defensive. "Fine. Let's forget we ever saw each other. Now it's_ my_ turn to leave without a goodbye. That, my dear, is what I call 'fair'." With that, Percy turned on his heel and kept walking down his sidewalk, barrelling through the torrents of people without as much as an 'excuse me'.

* * *

Annabeth stood there, dazed.

What had just happened?

She'd admittedly dreamed of her reunion with Percy. That maybe she'd be able to go back to summer camp, and they could start over.

She felt a pang of guilt. Maybe they had been best friends beforehand, but she hardly knew him now. People change.

Turning away from where she stared after his retreating figure, she felt the guilt turn into anger, anger at herself for feeling guilty, and anger at Percy for making her feel guilty.

She went down a new street, fueled by her anger. How dare he make her out to be the bad guy...He was the one who ran off so quickly. It hadn't been her fault. It hadn't.

But when she turned the corner again, looking into those intense sea-green eyes once more, her stomach sank.

Percy, looking into those stormy gray eyes that were Annabeth's, backed away. "You have got to stop doing that!" He exclaimed.

Annabeth looked affronted. "Doing what?"

"Appearing where I least expect you. It's not... natural."

She rolled her eyes."And who says I'm 'natural'? she asked, using finger quotes.

"I just did, Wise Girl." He furrowed his brow. "...I think..."

Her glare softened a degree. "You said I _wasn't_ natural. And don't call me that, Seaweed Brain!"

"Look who's a hypocrite!" he said, pointing his finger right in her face so that it poked her nose.

She pushed his finger away, trying to supress a smile. "You're so stupid."

"At least I can make it look sexy," he said, smirking and stroking his chest.

She rolled her eyes, but Percy caught that twinkle in her eye as she turned back. He caught her shoulder, forcing her to wait a second while he fell in step beside her.

"So, before that really stupid and pointless fight, you were going to take me on a tour of the city?" she questioned.

"No, only _my favorite_ parts of the city," he corrected. "You don't have to come if you don't wish to enjoy time with a stranger," he finished, giving her a pointed look.

"As long as you don't ask me to take any detours into creepy alleyways, I think I can handle it."

"Oh, how very convienient," Percy said, grabbing her wrist and pulling her into one of his shortcuts.

"Percy Jackson, so help me god..." she threatened, causing a smile to play on his lips.

With her free arm, Annabeth rubbed her opposite bicep. She shuddered, causing Percy to glance back.

"Are you cold?" he asked, realizing at the last second that that was a really stupid question. It was almost winter in New York.

She gave him a dry look, making him laugh. He sighed and pulled off his jacket.

"No, Percy, actually, I'm fine-"

"Wise girl, none of us are invulnerable. It's okay to not be okay at all times." He handed his jacket to her.

"But, I…" When she saw his expression, she relented, albeit reluctantly. She pulled on his hoodie. "You happy now?"

He smiled, genuinely, for the first time. "Yeah," he said, grabbing hold of her wrist once more and leading her though the dark alley.  
About five minutes later, they emerged on the other side of the street.

"I'm slightly suprised you didn't wrench my arm off," she said casually.

Percy looked down at his hand, which was clenching her arm rather hard. He let go, rubbing the back of his neck and praying to whatever god that would listen that he wasn't blushing.

Of course, they didn't grant him that kind of grace. So Percy kept walking, his face slightly flushed, Annabeth smirking in his wake.

They walked into Counter Culture and sat down at one of the tables. "I'll order for us," Percy said.

"No," Annabeth said suddenly, "I can pay for myself."

"Annabeth-" Percy argued.

"Percy, seriously. I don't need you to cater for me."

He pressed his lips together, but nodded hesitantly. She stepped up to the counter and ordered a Humphrey Yogart. Looking satisfied with herself, she stepped to the side for Percy to order.

"Um...I'll have...a blue Banana Crack," he decided. The cashier looked at him like he was a centaur, but sighed, shaking his head and ringing up the total.

When he walked back to Annabeth, she had an amused look on her face. "What?" he asked her, clueless as to why she would think blue food out of the ordinary.

She raised her eyebrows, silently asking for an explanation.

They sat down at a table. Annabeth placed her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, looking at him expectedly.

"The blue food started with my mom," he said, looking a bit sheepish. "My stepdad-my first one, mind you- told her that blue food was impossible. Which it obviously isn't, because look at blueberries. It's right in the name!"

"Seaweed Brain, sorry to rain on your parade, but blueberries are basically purple."

He sighed, exasperated. "Alright, whatever. If you don't want to listen, then I won't tell.'

"I'm just being factual!" she countered.

"Annabeth, has it ever occured to you that being factual means you're also being pretty heartless? Can't you tell that it doesn't make a damn difference whether blueberries are purple or not?"

Her cheeks flushed with anger. "It obviously does make a difference if you're talking about blue food! Maybe your stepdad was right, since there are no natural blue foods! And how many stepdads have you had? Does your mom even know when to stop?"

That crossed the line.

Percy, seething, stood up sharply. "Goodbye, Annabeth. No, actually, you don't deserve a goodbye. I mean, at least I have a reason to leave." And with that, he left the shop, letting the door slam behind him and Annabeth staring after him.


	4. Impossible Things

**Chapter 4- Impossible Things**

Sobbing, obviously, was a continuous cycle for Annabeth Chase.

She'd raced home in a fury after her fight with Percy, because she and her pride were one and the same. She didn't- or couldn't, rather- see what she did wrong.

But she found that she actually could. That little part of her conscience that barely survived was whispering in waves of guilt. She knew she'd hit a sore point with her 'best friend', and she also knew that if the points were changed, she wouldn't have liked her mother to have been called that, either. No matter how annoying Athena got, Annabeth still loved her mother, and she'd defend her if need be.

She wished she'd gotten Percy's number when she'd had the chance, because even the little bit of guilt she felt was enough to overpower her pride. She couldn't bring herself to understand why she had said what she did.

And, as most helpless people do, she began to cry again. She flopped down on her bed, feeling lonelier than before. She'd always felt lonely, but people tended to avoid her on their own whims instead of her making them avoid her.

She wished, more than ever, that Thalia was there with her.

Sighing, she sat up in her bed, telling herself that it was stupid to cry as it did nothing to help her situation. Thalia would tell her to 'straighten up, Chase!', so that was what she did.

Usually, when Annabeth was particularly emotional, she'd clean up after the twins' messes. But now, looking around in her sparse, immaculate apartment, she found nothing for her idle hands to arrange.

So she opened the food closet.

There were hundreds, it seemed, of chips, trail mix, candy bars, and other assorted goods that she never could have eaten in even one year. She gawked for a while at the assortment before closing her gaping mouth and setting to work.

She pulled all the food off of the shelves. They came crashing down all around her, and she went about putting them in carefully arranged piles. It was unnecessary, but it made her forget about her stupidity and guilt for a while, at least, so that was good.

* * *

Percy had never been so mad in his entire life.

Well, there was that one case where a girl named Nancy had bullied Grover. That was probably the event in which he'd felt the most anger, he decided. But still, Annabeth Chase was second on his list of 'Most Hated'.

Because no one made rude, uncalled for comments about his mother. How dare she? He'd known she was blunt and blurted things sometimes, but this was really crossing the line. They'd just been getting back into their old groove when she had ruined it all.

_She ruins everything_, he thought bitterly.

Which was why he was standing under the awning of the very same Starbucks he had raced out of that very morning, staring petulantly at his bare arms.

She even had the nerve to keep his jacket.

Well, Percy knew that it hadn't been her fault that she hadn't had a chance to give him back his hoodie. He was the one who had walked out on her, after all.

But it still felt good to blame her for everything.

He knew it was wrong, but he felt so mad and hurt that in that moment that he hardly cared.

Finally, he saw the form of Grover's scruffy face, shrouded by his gray hood that covered his head. Grover looked concerned and nervous, as always.

"Perce, what are you doing out in the cold without a jacket? You could have gone inside, you know."

"Yeah, I know, Grover. I'm not stupid," Percy muttered angrily.

Grover put his hands up in a surrendering motion. "Okay, okay, don't be all sensitive."

"Who said I was?" Percy asked, still sounding mad.

"Perce, please, tell me what's on your mind. Let's go inside."

With a huff, Percy obeyed, heading inside the coffee shop. Grover followed, sitting across from his best friend. Percy glared down at the table, as if ordering it a death sentence.

After a small, tense pause, Grover asked, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Percy sighed. His face relaxed a bit, going from total anger to exhaustion and annoyance. He rubbed his face and ran his fingers through his forever mussed hair.

"I saw the Chase girl today."

Grover's eyes immediately widened, and he raised an eyebrow. "Do explain."

"She insulted my mother and stole my jacket."

Grover's expression contorted into one of confusion. "What, is she some kind of gangster now?"

Percy laughed a bit, imagining Annabeth in a pair of baggy jeans, a backwards baseball cap, and a dollar sign gold chain necklace around her neck, the stereotypical dress for gangsters. "No, she's just as she always was."

"I'm sorry, man. But hey, cut her a little slack. Everyone says things they don't mean. You know I do- today, for example, I asked a person off the street if they wanted the rest of their enchilada."

"You… What?"

Grover smiled and shrugged. "Yeah. But then I realized it was chicken and I waved them off, saying that chicken was disgusting and that they should really consider becoming a vegetarian. Then the guy got mad and said that vegetables were disgusting."

"And I'm guessing that didn't go over on you well," Percy laughed, feeling a little better.

"No… If you call taking the enchilada out of the guy's hand, throwing it in a nearby trashcan, shouting, "VEGETARIAN AWARENESS!" in his face, and racing off as taking it well."

Percy laughed louder, looking incredulous. "You didn't!"

Grover smirked. "I did."

"Wow. I can't imagine you doing that."

"Neither can I, brother," Grover chuckled. "The point is, after I did that, I decided that probably wasn't the best move on my part. I went to a Mexican restaurant, bought a chicken enchilada, and luckily found the guy again so I could apologize. He was talking to a policeman about a crazy guy who had 'wrecked his property.'

Percy shook his head. "You are a crazy one."

"Yes," Grover agreed, "yes, I am. But the point I'm trying to make is that maybe you should give Annabeth a chance. She's always been blunt- one of the reasons that the two of you became friends in the first place was that you both had ADHD. She blurts out things she doesn't mean, says things that come to her mind. It isn't exactly her fault. Give her some time."

Percy pondered this for a while. He sighed, nodding reluctantly. "I cannot contradict the master of wisdom," Percy said sarcastically.

Grover smiled, patting him on the shoulder. "That's my boy. Now, I have to get back to Gamestop. You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah," Percy said. "Sure I will."

* * *

Annabeth had fallen asleep on her cluttered floor of food.

It wasn't too uncomfortable, as the plush carpet was one of the softest things she'd ever felt in her entire life, but she woke up soon after she fell asleep, warm and oddly content.

She groaned. She was still in his hoodie.

Even more to add to her wrongdoing. Great. She hated how fate was so cruel to her, especially when she was just moving and had to get settled in a new place. She didn't want Percy to hate her. She wanted to apologize. She wanted to make everything right again in her little world, because she lived to make things orderly and proper.

But her life was just the opposite of that, obviously, because her father didn't care about her and neither did her stepmother or mother. She'd lived her whole life tossed from one parent to another like a hot potato, and neither of them wanted the burden of getting burnt.

She felt unloved and unwanted. She always had.

It was this reason that she had trouble trusting, but at the same time she had a contradictory feeling of wanting to trust any stranger that came along. She wanted them to love her, because she thought that if she could just give them a chance, maybe they would.

But she felt guarded, because she knew she left herself unshielded from sudden hurt and pain.

When she'd met Percy for the first time, he hadn't left her side. He'd been there when their friends Silena and Beckendorf had both died in a tragic car accident. He'd been there to console her when she'd broken down crying- and Annabeth Chase never cried (at least not in public)- and he'd held her hand to let her know that he was there, and he was there to stay.

But it wasn't just her mother's fault that she hadn't gone back to camp. Part of her didn't want to. When she got too attached, she ran. She couldn't risk losing herself to someone else, putting her emotions and trust in someone else's control.

She was prideful and controlling, and she only trusted herself to carry her burdens and emotions.

Yet, she knew that it was wrong for her to trust only in herself. It was impossible for her to do everything by herself, but she was so independent that she almost did believe it.

She used to trust in people. She trusted in her father, in her mother, even her stepmother for a time, Luke, Percy, Thalia…

She felt that even Thalia would leave her sometime. She'd find another best friend to watch stupid Disney movies with that they'd never admit to watching. She'd find someone else to tell secrets to. She'd find someone else to cry to when things went wrong in the misfortune that was life.

She'd forget that Annabeth Chase ever existed in her life.

Annabeth almost believed that everyone would forget and replace her, which resulted in feeling extremely alone.

And, like all the other times she felt out of control and alone, she started crying for the hundredth time in only one day.

And yes, suddenly impossible things did happen in the life of Annabeth Chase, because she found herself reaching for the phone book and turning to the yellow pages under "J".

* * *

"Hello?"

Sally Jackson's tone of voice was somehow hardly distorted by her extreme exhaustion. She'd worked for two days with only one hour of sleep, the cause being not only her work at her candy shop but that she also wrote stories on the side. Her dream was to publish books someday, but she hardly believed it would come true.

With a resigned sigh, she waited for the unknown caller to answer.

"Um, hello," a girl, presumably a teenager, said on the other end. She sniffled, and Sally wondered if the girl had been crying or had a cold.

"May I ask who is calling…?" Ms. Jackson asked, concerned.

"Um, I'm, uh, calling for Percy…" she said. "My name is Annabeth Chase."

"Annabeth? That sounds familiar, but I'm sorry to say I don't quite remember… I'm getting old," Sally added, chuckling.

"Oh," Annabeth said, "I went to Percy's summer camp one year."

"That's right!" Sally exclaimed. "He talked about you all the time. He really wanted you to meet me. I suppose he must have had quite a crush on you."

Annabeth sounded confused. "A crush… On me?"

"Just a mother's intuition," Sally explained with a smile. "Anyway, I'm sorry, but Percy isn't home."

"Oh," Annabeth said again, feeling a little, well, blonde. "I just wanted to, um… Tell him I still have his jacket. It was cold outside and he lent it to me."

Sally laughed lightly, in this way that just made you feel really good about yourself. Annabeth noted that Percy had the same type of laugh. "I'm glad that my son isn't a total twit."

Annabeth laughed, in a slightly broken way. The sound made Sally's brows furrow. "Annabeth, are you alright?"

"I…" Annabeth started. "Well… Percy and I had a fight."

Sally sighed, shaking her head slightly. "I'm not surprised. Everyone has fights, dear, don't let it make you go insane. Percy… He's very loyal, you know. He'll trust a regular stranger on the street. But whenever he feels like the other person doesn't feel the same way he was, even if they do, he gets hurt. It probably wasn't even your fault."

"Thanks, Ms. Jackson. You know… He was right about you."

Sally cocked her head to the side, even though Annabeth couldn't see her, and smiled. "What exactly was he right about?"

"You're one of the nicest people in the world."

* * *

Walking home, Percy stuffed his hands in his pockets.

The sun was setting on the horizon, giving way to all the lights that lit up the night in New York. He sighed. So many things had happened in such a short time.

And when he felt someone hugging him from behind, he knew it wasn't the end.

"Percy, I'm… I'm sorry," she whispered. He turned, watching Annabeth cry into his shirt for the second time that day. Instead of reeling back and walking away like his brain told him to, his heart told him to stand there and console her.

And so he did.

After standing there in the street for a few minutes, just hugging her, Percy finally asked, "How did you know where I was?" Annabeth sent him a coy smile, tear tracks still on her face.

"Your mom told me."


	5. Unexpected Trouble

**Chapter 5- Unexpected Trouble**

"What?" Percy asked. He furrowed his brows, feeling a little defensive on the subject of his mother.

Annabeth smiled. She looked down at the ground, as if remembering something. "I called your house, and she answered." She looked back up at Percy, then back down at the ground. Her voice barely a whisper, she said, "…I'm sorry, Percy."

He could tell it was hard for her to apologize, and it made him feel better when she did because he knew she really _meant it. _In reply, he just smiled slightly and pulled her to his chest once more.

And it was safe to say that they didn't care who was looking.

* * *

"He was hugging _who, _exactly?"

Rachel Elizabeth Dare was standing in her penthouse, eyes frantically looking out her window at the bustling city below. She groaned, rubbing her face with her free hand.

She was _so close._ Why did some girl have to come in and ruin everything that she had going for her?

"She looks like this girl named Annabeth Chase that used to go to Percy and my summer camp," Clarisse growled. Clarisse wasn't Rachel's best friend, but she knew about Rachel's crush on Percy and found it her business to update Rachel on Percy's _every- single- move._

Needless to say, Clarisse wasn't the most welcome person in Rachel's book.

Getting tired of holding her phone to her ear, Rachel rummaged around for her headphones and plugged them in. Talking through the microphone, she said, "…Are they close?"

"Used to be," Clarisse replied. "She stopped comin' to camp a few years ago."

"Oh," was all Rachel could say. Sighing, she uncovered her easel, grabbed a paintbrush, dipped it in paint, and mindlessly painted some clouds.

"Yeah," Clarisse said. "So, what are you gonna do about it?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, safe in the fact that Clarisse couldn't see her. She wondered if Clarisse was just living vicariously through her. It made her a little sad and very guilty for wanting Clarisse to go away.

"Hm," Rachel pondered. "I'm not sure yet. Look, I'm sorry, but I really need to get back to this painting." It wasn't a total lie- she really did want to finish it sooner or later.

But, as Rachel disconnected with Clarisse, she didn't start painting. With newfound determination, she walked to her father's office.

She had connections. And she was going to find out who this Annabeth Chase was.

* * *

"Oh my god," Annabeth said, openly face-palming herself. Percy just laughed at her as they walked along. She'd accidentally forgotten to bring his jacket.

"Shows how much you care about me not getting cold," Percy laughed, rubbing his arms for the absolute guilt-ing affect.

She smacked him on his upper arm. "Hey!" he said indignantly, rubbing the place of pain that had already faded. He was, of course, exaggerating. "Wow," he mused, "Forgetful and abusive."

"Shut up, kelp head," she said.

"Who would have thought that Annabeth Chase might have sounded- gasp- fond of this 'kelp head' she speaks of?" He smirked at her, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"What?" she asked, pretending to be irritated. "I'm definitely not fond of you, if that's what you're saying."

He raised an eyebrow suggestively. "We both know you like me, Chase."

And just like that, the atmosphere surrounding them was tense. Annabeth pressed her lips together, not saying anything, but blushing slightly. Percy looked at her for a few seconds before looking down at the ground.

"Hey," he said quietly, bumping shoulders with her. "I'm sorry."

She merely shook her head. "No, it's okay. I just… Well, I, um… Never mind."

"What, Wise Girl?" he said, using the irritable term.

"Well, I don't- I mean- I don't like you like that," she rushed, stuttering. "I like you as a friend."

He cocked his head at her, smiling slightly. He'd never seen her this disheveled as he today. "It's okay, Annie, I like you as-a-friend, too."

She glanced back up at him, and when she realized he was just playing with her, she shoved him. "Ugh," she groaned. "You are so mean."

"What?" he asked, playing innocent. He had this spark in his eye that Annabeth realized that she really liked.

"And don't call me _Annie_!" she said as an afterthought.

"But-"

Percy's retort was cut off by a ringtone. Annabeth dug her phone out to see if it was hers, but she realized that it was Percy's. He held up his finger to her and winked, as if to say _we'll continue this later. _

She could hear his indignant and worried sounds. "What?!" He semi-yelled. "But you…Yes. Yes, Okay. I'll ask, but he'll probably say no. He hates me. Yes, he does. Anyway, why? Couldn't I stay with Grover? Of course he would, mom, I-" He sighed. "I'm sorry. Okay. Yes, I love you, too. Bye." He disconnected, looking disheartened.

"Are you okay?" She asked. She didn't want to pry, but they were 'best friends', anyhow.

He set his jaw, looking at the ground before looking back at her. "Not really. My mom is moving."

Annabeth's expression mirrored that of Percy's. "What?"

"Yeah. She got this job offer from this publisher. It's a really great opportunity for her… But she told me I couldn't go. The reason being because she doesn't want to ruin what I have here. "

"Who are you going to stay with?"

He sighed again. "My dad. But I haven't even spoken to him in my whole life. My mom doesn't realize that if I do move in with him, I'll have to move to Florida." Annabeth's eyes widened.

"He obviously hates me, if he hasn't made the effort to come and just at least _talk _to me." Percy sounded a little hurt. "I wanted to stay with Grover, but… She doesn't want me to impose on his kindness."

"Oh," Annabeth said. "I… Well, I don't know how you would feel about it, but… I bet my mom would let you have a room in our penthouse."

Percy's head jerked from the ground to her face. "What?"

"Yeah. I mean, the rooms are almost as big as a really big dorm room, and they're all full of food and stuff-"

"No, Annabeth, I couldn't do that to you. Especially your mother."

"I don't care. And I doubt my mother would, either. She hardly cares about _me. _Come on, Perce. What do you say?"

"I…"

* * *

"Olympia Company of Law and Justice," Rachel muttered. "So she's a lawyer."

Her father had handed her files full of juicy information, which she now flipped through with newfound determination.

"Interesting…"

Her phone rang again, and she rolled her eyes, groaning when she saw the caller ID. "Clarisse, what now?"

"It's crazy what you can find out when you're just walking down the street," Clarisse said smugly. "I just saw the Chase girl and Jackson. And guess what?"

"What," Rachel repeated in a monotone, uninterested.

"She basically asked if he wanted to move in with her."

Rachel dropped the files, causing papers to fly all around her room. "What?!"

* * *

Once the elevator dinged, Annabeth walked out of the small space, going back and pulling Percy's hand when she realized he wasn't following.

"This is a really big hallway," he said, in awe. Annabeth rolled her eyes, pretending like she still didn't find the architecture and building absolutely _fascinating_.

She accidentally forgot to pull her hand away from Percy's. She suddenly dropped it, feeling a little self-conscious all of the sudden. Percy coughed.

Finally they reached the door, which Annabeth unlocked with her card, emitting a small _beep. _

She smiled once she heard Percy's gasp behind her.

"What… How…" She tried not to think about how cute he got when his eyes looked all dreamy.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain," she said, her heart dropping. "We still have to get my mother to okay all of this."

* * *

Athena Olympia raised a perfect eyebrow at the boy beside her daughter.

"College plans?" she asked, suddenly.

"Um… Excuse me, ma'am," Annabeth said, "He's not my… boyfriend. He just needs a place to stay-"

"You know that Annabeth is going to either an Ivy League college or a very prestigious architecture school," Athena said, cutting her daughter off. "I'd hate for someone to get in the way of those dreams."

"With all due respect, ma'am, I have no plan to get in the way of any of her dreams," Percy replied.

Athena sniffed, looking Percy up and down. "I don't like you, Percy Jackson," she said. "But I suppose you may stay in my house as long as you need." She turned away, waving her hand at them. "Go, I have work to do. Annabeth, I trust you will show him around one of the guest rooms."

Annabeth blinked. "…Yes, ma'am."

Percy tapped her shoulder, because Annabeth seemed frozen in place by the sheer power of her mother's presence. She started a bit before following Percy out the door.

Once the two teenagers were gone, Athena shook her head. "He's not just some more unexpected trouble, hm?" she mused.

* * *

**Hey, guys! PepsiCola541 here! Every five chapters, I'm going to post a long-needed (and maybe unwanted by some) Author's Note.**

**I need to thank all of you for the response I've gotten for this story! It's so nice, and I just love all of you so much. I wish I could do something nice for you guys, like... Invite you to a banquet, maybe? A virtual banquet?**

**Alas, I doubt it's possible. :P **

**But! Here's the shout-outs!**

**19 Favorites: **

**AnxiousA, Artemis-gurl,** **Elia19, ****KVeyne,** **Kyra Is Thaa Name,** **Les 3 Magnifiques,** **LongLiveLaughter,** **NikiD1233,** **PercyJacksonObsession,** **RiptideZ, ****T1nyDanc3r, ****The Sleeping Meerkat, ****Wings101, ****XxbethamphetaminexX, ****ZuluBoT, ****alyaJackson, ****chunsaAthena-chan, ****dhmhtra375, ****hopesolofan.**

**35 Followers:**

**AnxiousA,** **Artemis-gurl, ****August1999,** **Black Roses for Hades girl,** **Elia19, ****Gallifrey Dweller (I love your name!), ****Kyra Is Thaa Name,** **Les 3 Magnifiques,** **LongLiveLaughter, ****LordOfFigaro, **** 5, ****MyCheekMeat, ****NikiD1233, ****Percy Jackson Annabeth Chase, ****Random Reader 14, ****Revenge of the Red Pen (Your name reminds me of my evil English teacher btw), ****T1nyDanc3r, ****The Sleeping Meerkat,** **ThreeBulletsAtTheDangerParade (I love your name), ****XxbethamphetaminexX, ****ZuluBoT, ****alyaJackson, ****cantbetamed5656, ****dhmhtra375, ****dreamchaser31lucky, ****everett2, ****p4d, ****peachtree3, ****stepsharris-multifandoms,** **stikenotes, ****trio-of-friends, ****venkiiyer16, ****way2hwt4u,** **xxShafferxx, ****zerowinz.**

**27 Reviews:**

**everett2, alyaJackson, DragonClan, xxShafferxx, Codex, August1999, LongLiveLaughter, Guest (I know it's you, AnxiousA xD), BLANKSLATE 37, dhmhtra375, dreamchaser31lucky (you're so nice! :D), Artemis-gurl, MaydayParade8123, Revenge of the Red Pen, T1nyDanc3r (you're so nice btw, I love hearing from you because you're so enthusiastic xD), Percy Jackson Annabeth Chase, way2hwt4u, L1berty0rD34th, chey1235.**

**The first chapter is dedicated to chey1235 because s/he reviewed first. (:**

**Also, I realized only a little while ago that I was added to a community by MaydayParade8123, (!) so thanks, May :"D **

**I want you to know that I love all of you and that it really warms my heart to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments, Send me a PM or review. **

**Much love! :D -PepCo**


	6. Safe and Soundlessly

**Chapter 6- Safe and Soundlessly**

"Come on, Perce, wake up!"

Percy groaned. "Mom, stop."

"I'm not your mother, Percy."

He shot up in bed, his eyes still closed. "Please tell me I'm at home and not somewhere else."

Annabeth sighed. "You are at home, Percy. Just your new home." She wrinkled her nose. "Put on some clothes."

Percy opened his eyes, smirking at her expression. "You can't handle my sexiness, can you?"

She deadpanned. "No," she replied, her voice thick with sarcasm.

He punched the air. "Yes! Score one for Jackson!"

Annabeth smiled, folding her arms. "Score twenty-thousand for Chase."

He sent her a fake glare. "Sure, Chase, sure. Say what you like." Stretching, he clambered out of bed, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. Annabeth shielded her eyes with her arm, turning away.

"I'm not Medusa," he said, repeating what he'd said to her when they'd just met about a week ago.

"Yeah, but you are a naked boy, and I don't want to see you… unclothed."

"You know how many girls would just _die _to see me without clothes?" he joked. "And I'm not even naked! I guess you're just not a normal girl, Chase."

"Yep," she agreed, standing. "I'm not a normal girl."

And for some reason that Percy didn't want to define, he smiled really big upon hearing her response.

"Well," Annabeth said, "I'll meet you outside."

"Wait," Percy asked. Annabeth paused in the doorway. "What are we doing today?"

She rolled her eyes, sighing. "I've been telling you this entire week that we have to go to school tomorrow. And, obviously, for school, you need school supplies. And we need to get your stuff from your apartment, finally," she said, turning to go out in the hallway.

"Wait!" he said again.

"What, Jackson?" she asked, irritated.

He gave her a cheeky smirk, motioning to his body. "One last look."

"Oh, god!" she exclaimed, closing his door.

She obviously wasn't blind to Percy's body. He was, in fact, pretty attractive for a best friend. But she'd promised herself never to travel down that road, because she was afraid she'd never come back.

* * *

"Oooh!" Percy exclaimed. "What about this one for you, Princess Annabeth?" He bowed dramatically.

She glanced over at what he was holding, then raised her eyebrows. "I didn't peg you for a girly-boy, Jackson, but if you think a Barbie backpack suits you, well, that's your call."

He sent her a dry look. "I was talking about you, Princess."

"Don't call me 'Princess'!"

He set the backpack down, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Okay, Princess."

She groaned.

He started staring at her for no particular reason. Or, maybe there was a reason, just one he couldn't define. Or didn't want to define.

Because Annabeth Chase wasn't a normal girl. She wasn't like the other girls he'd ever known that would sway their hips at him and try to get him to ask them out. She wasn't desperate. She was… Annabeth. There weren't really words to explain what she was, or who she was, because she was just… her. Completely and utterly perfectly imperfect Annabeth.

She smirked, meeting his gaze. "Like what you see, kelp head?"

"No," he mocked. She rolled her eyes, holding back a smile.

He'd been so busy staring at her that he hadn't realized how full the cart was. "God, Annabeth, how many notebooks do you need?"

"Get it straight, Seaweed Brain," she said, "They're assorted planners _and _notebooks."

He held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Well, _excuse me_, Miss Chase, for not looking closer."

She raised an eyebrow. "I think you have been looking closer at something else, hm?"

"Yeah, Percy replied, "I think that Barbie backpack just can't be left alone."

"Jackson," she warned, "So help me god, don't you dare sneak that backpack in the cart."

He just grinned innocently, going back to staring. She pretended not to notice.

* * *

"So now they're shopping together?" an irritated Rachel asked. Her heart was falling slowly into her stomach.

"Yep," said Clarisse. Rachel heard smacking noises, and supposed Clarisse was eating something.

"Well, great," Rachel muttered. "You know what, Clarisse?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I even like Percy anymore," she lied, hoping to be convincing.

"Really? Good. He's the dumbest person I've ever known. And annoying, too."

"Yeah," Rachel agreed halfheartedly. "Yeah, he is."

* * *

"Can we go get some ice cream?" Percy whined. "Please?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Once we're finished shopping."

"But I want it now."

"You are such a child."

"Only for the best," he retorted, sending her a winning smile.

"Shut up," she said, slapping his forearm. "You know what your mom told me in our phone call?"

"Need I even expand on how weird that is?" he said.

She ignored him, continuing, "She said you must have had a crush on me."

He was silent for a second. "I so didn't have a crush on you. We were just really good friends."

"And it's still that way, isn't it? Because I wouldn't want something to get in the way of our friendship."

"Uh, yeah."

She sent him a dry look. "That's convincing."

"Oh, look, there's Baskin Robbins." he walked ahead of her, leaving her to grab the other bags.

"You can't run away from this subject forever, Jackson!" she called after him. _Does this mean he did like me? _She wondered inwardly. _No, _she decided. _Of course not. He knows what could happen if we did date. It would turn out really bad. What if we had one of our really bad fights? What if he-_

"Anna-beth," Percy singsonged, interrupting her thoughts. "I got you an ice cream! And it's your favorite!"

She deadpanned. "Vanilla? Really?"

"Sorry, Wise Girl, I was afraid to get you something that you might absolutely _hate_, so this was a safe bet."

"Yeah," she said. "Always play it safe."

* * *

"This is your car?" Annabeth asked, aghast. "I didn't even know you had a license."

They'd finally (after putting it off for the whole week) gone to Percy's apartment building to pick up the rest of his belongings and his car.

Percy still felt the same way that Annabeth looked when he saw the car. His dad had given it to him for a birthday present only a year ago.

"Dodge Challenger," he corrected. "Calling it just a car is insulting."

"But," Annabeth said, "How did you ever afford it if you don't have a job? And you're really lazy, I mean, how…?"

Percy was slightly offended. "I'm lazy?"

For full effect, Annabeth lifted up the ten shopping bags that left red indentions on her wrists.

"Oh," he said, seemingly a bit sheepish. "Here, let me take some."

However, Annabeth shook her head. "No, I've got it."

Percy scoffed. "You just told me I was lazy, and now you just say to forget it?"

"It's not like you would have actually wanted to help anyway!" Annabeth argued. "You don't have any patience, and you never want to actually just spend time with your 'best friend'!" She struggled to make finger quotes around the words while the bags were still weighing down her wrists.

"When I try to make you open up, you push me away!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the spacious parking garage. "You don't trust me at all!"

"I'm just getting to know you again! It's not easy to tell people things! You obviously don't get that about me. You can't 'make' someone trust in you, it has to come naturally!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

It was silent and tense for a while. His face red with shouting and anger, he walked over to Annabeth, taking the bags from her hands and putting them in the trunk.

Wordlessly, Percy got in driver's seat and slammed the door. He waited for Annabeth to get in, too, but she just opened the door and said quietly, "We still have to get your stuff from the apartment."

He sighed. _Does she always have to be right? _he thought bitterly as he exited the car.

* * *

Once inside the apartment, Annabeth couldn't help but smile in a bittersweet way. It smelled like an actual warm, inviting home that she'd never had.

She'd never admit it to Percy, but she was actually a little jealous of him.

He didn't have hateful parents, or mischievous siblings. He was a go-with-the-flow person that acted as if he didn't have to worry about anything, while she worried about _everything. _

She found herself thinking, out of the blue, that maybe they would make a good match.

_No, no, no! _She scolded herself. _I will never date Percy Jackson. Ever!_

She sighed.

Percy, still sounding a little mad, asked begrudgingly, "You okay, Annabeth?"

She looked up at him. "Oh. Um, yeah."

He just soundlessly nodded, taking his travel bags down from the closet shelf and placing his leftover belongings in them. His room wasn't neat by any means, because his clothes were strewn all over the place, but Annabeth couldn't help but smile. It was just all together _Percy. _

"Why are you smiling?"

She looked up to see Percy staring at her, and she felt her face get hot. "Oh, I dunno."

He sighed. "Okay, okay, fine. I used to be a Star Wars fanatic."

"Ohmigod," she said. "I didn't even notice the poster until you pointed it out!"

He groaned, openly face-palming himself and falling backwards onto his bed. "Great. Let the endless ridicule commence."

"Don't worry, Perce. I'm sure I have the whole series for you to watch at home."

"Oh, _god, _Annabeth, I swear I haven't watched those in years."

"M-hm. Suuure."

And that, Annabeth decided, was their friendship. They might argue, but it never was terrible enough that they wouldn't make up in the very same day. That was just what defined _them_, just as laziness defined Percy and OCD-ness defined herself.

And that might just be okay enough to work.

* * *

**Author's note (yay)!**

**So, I realized that you all actually had some questions for me… So I decided I'd just post the **_**new shout-outs**_** every five chapters. It's just a little easier that way- I hope you don't mind. **

**But I just need you guys to know that I was literally tearing up reading your reviews. Most of them just make me die and go to heaven over and over and over again.**

**It's just indescribably amazing. Especially the ones that go, "Your story is my favorite EVER!"- Those make me go, "Who, me? You're kidding, right?" I feel that way, honestly. I'm not **_**that **_**good of a writer. **

**Anyway, I'm rambling. Here's the most FAQ:**

_Are Percy and Annabeth demigods, and are the gods mentioned actually gods? _**No, they're not. It's just basically AU all the way, where they're normal people. **

**Also, I understand that Annabeth is **_**completely **_**OOC with all the crying-in-basically-every-chapter so much that it makes me go absolutely **_**insane **_**when I read over the chapters. Sorry about that. :P**

**I'm very OCD myself with my fanfictions, because I'll read over them over and over and over until my brain turns to mush. **

**I love all of you SO MUCH LIKE I CAN'T EVEN DEAL.**

**Sorry this was really long. **

**Review! (: **

**Love, PepCo**


	7. These Things Will Never Change

**Chapter 7- These Things Will Never Change**

Annabeth, sitting on her couch alone, heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she called.

Her heart dropped. It was Athena.

"Annabeth," she said curtly, "I need to talk to you."

Annabeth scooted over on her couch, making room for Athena to sit. Once she had, she continued, "I think it's my job to tell you why you were sent here to live with me."

_I was _sent _here? But I thought she wanted me to live with her, _Annabeth thought.

"You're a failure," Athena stated with no emotion. "Your father and mother don't care about you at all, and really, neither do I. You've failed in your studies." Athena pulled out a slip of paper. "Goode High School has vetoed you as a student."

Annabeth just sat there, trying to hold back her tears.

"You should be glad I haven't vetoed you as a daughter," Athena said. "You are not worth my time, or anyone's time, for that matter." She turned to the door, and Annabeth saw who stood in the doorway.

Luke.

"Annabeth," he said, his face void of any feelings. "I'm here to take you away."

Next to Athena, suddenly, was Thalia. "Ha. Serves you right. You know we never cared about you. We _hate _you, Anna_brat_ Chase. You don't deserve our devotion- you never did," she said.

"What?" she asked, frightened. Here before her stood her worst fears. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore, and they ran down her face. "No," she said. Luke stepped toward her, reaching out to grab her. She hid in the corner, crouching as they all got nearer. She screamed, "No, no, NO!"

"Annabeth!" this voice was distant, different, one she vaguely remembered. It got sharper and sharper as she continued to scream.

* * *

"Annabeth!" Percy said. She was having a nightmare, screaming and crying. She fought his hands, pushing them away.

"No, no, no!" she shouted, again and again. Percy didn't know what to do except to comfort her.

So he did. He climbed in her bed, slowly coming closer against her fighting arms. "Shh," he murmured. "Shh, Annabeth."

She quieted, her shouts now only small murmurs. "No, no, no…" Tears still streamed down her face.

Percy knew one thing for sure- he'd never dreamed that Annabeth would cry this much. He'd remembered her as the girl who was void of any emotion.

He understood how she felt, though. He'd moved basically all his life, from school to school. His mother knew he had trouble fitting in with people.

But Percy was different. Instead of showing outwardly how he felt, he'd push his feelings inside and put on a fake smile, pretending to be happy so his mother wouldn't worry.

Annabeth was silent now, the tear tracks on her face the only evidence of her nightmare. He started to pull away from her, but she grabbed at his shirt, her hand gently clawing at his chest.

Even in sleep, she had a really good grip.

_She's going to kill me if she finds me in her bed, _he thought. _And so will her mother. _

He shuddered. _That _was not something he wanted to think about.

Slowly, he disentangled her fingers from his shirt. If he went too fast, they'd just hold tighter.

Finally, he was able to pull himself free. She whimpered in her sleep once his warmth was absent.

"Night, Annabeth," he said softly, knowing she wouldn't hear him. Having an argument with himself for a few seconds, he decided it couldn't hurt.

He let his forehead drop to hers for a few seconds, kissing the top of her head swiftly before leaving her room.

* * *

"Jackson! I told you to get up _hours _ago!"

Annabeth's screams pounded on Percy's ears, more obnoxious and still somehow more welcoming than the alarm clock's screams.

He simply rolled over on his side, covering his head with his pillow.

"PERCY!" Annabeth's voice reached new heights that penetrated even the thickness of his plump pillow.

She threw herself on him, making him shout indignantly. "No, no, no," Percy muttered.

Annabeth sat up on his bed, falling silent. He didn't realize that those three words sent her flying back into her dream.

"Okay, okay," Percy relented. He didn't much like the silent treatment, no matter how unintended it was. "I'm getting up."

She gave a half-hearted smile, and Percy noticed. "Are you okay?"

She gave a shrug and nodded unconvincingly. "Yeah."

"Annabeth," he said, giving her a dry look as he settled down next to her. "I can tell when you're not okay, you know."

She genuinely smiled that time, albeit a small smile. "'Cause you're my best friend."

"Exactly," he said, smiling at her smile. It was becoming increasingly obvious to him that he was only happy when she was happy.

And that was very dangerous. He knew he had a tendency to be too trusting, and he hated that about himself. _Annabeth can be trusted, though, _he reassured himself.

He just hoped it was true.

She grabbed his pillow, throwing it at his chest before rising. "Get dressed. You have about seven minutes."

When she said 'seven', for some reason Percy thought of 'seven minutes in heaven' and blushed. "Um, uh, yeah," he replied, scratching the back of his neck. Annabeth looked at him strangely, raising an eyebrow as she closed his door.

He got even redder as he thought of having his 'seven minutes in heaven' with Annabeth.

* * *

"Thank _god _you finally made it out here," she said, leaning up against his black Dodge Challenger.

She tried not to let her eyes linger on him for too long, but he actually did look pretty great. His white t-shirt, wrinkled from probably being on the floor, was surprisingly form-fitting. He had purple gym shorts on, which made Annabeth snort.

He puffed his chest out, pretending to be pompous. "Something wrong, Chase?"

"Why would you wear gym shorts on the first day of school?" she asked.

"First thing I picked up. Come on, Princess, let's hit the road."

She folded her arms, smirking. "Where's your school supplies?"

He glanced down at his idle hands. "Oh-"

"Don't worry, Jackson. It's all in the back seat."

He narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. "Oh, how you love to play with me."

And yeah, she sort of did.

Once they climbed in the car, Percy started the ignition. The radio blared Snow Patrol. "_We'll do it all, everything, on our own…"_

"You like Snow Patrol?" Annabeth said. She was surprised. "You seem like, I don't know, one of those 'Avenged Sevenfold' hardcore jocks. You know, the ones who act like they're so cool just because they can play guitar."

He smiled, shaking his head. "I'll have you know that I do play guitar."

"Yeah, so can I. Big deal."

"I didn't take you for one of _those _girls, Chase."

She pondered for a second. "I'm not one of those girls, whatever that means. I mean, I don't want to be one of them, anyway. I just want to be… me."

He smiled genuinely, seemingly fighting to not keep staring at her. She blushed against her will, turning her gaze to the road and hoping that he would follow her example.

He didn't, at least for a while.

"_Just know that these things will never change for us at all…"_

* * *

When they arrived at Goode, finally, Annabeth didn't want to get out of the car.

"What if my teachers just absolutely _hate _me?" she said, chewing on her nails. Percy smiled again, taking her hand down from her mouth.

"They won't," he assured her. "Please. You're Annabeth Chase. You're the opposite of a student they would hate." He had her smiling; she was biting her lip, but looked otherwise determined.

And then he made the mistake of looking down at her lips.

All at once, she seemed to have some kind of divine revelation that they were too close and that he was _still holding her hand _and that he was a guy and she was a girl and they were capable of being _together_. At least, that's what it looked like to Percy. She pulled her hand away like his hand had burned hers and picked up her stuff before exiting the car.

"Annabeth…" he started. She slammed the door. He hurriedly grabbed his stuff before slamming his door and clicking the lock button on his key.

_Beep, Beep. _"Annabeth, wait up!" She didn't stop, but she did slow down.

He noticed, once he caught up with her, that she was blushing fiercely. "What's wrong, Chase?" he asked, sending her his signature cheeky smile.

"Please, Percy," she deadpanned. "You know what just happened."

"That I was accidentally holding your hand? _God,_ Annabeth, it's not like I violated you or anything-"

"But I thought we agreed we'd never be together! It's too hard for friends to stay friends if there are any _complications-"_

"What agreement? I never agreed to anything!"

She stopped. "So you're admitting to having that crush that you secretly harbor on me?"

He mistakenly hesitated, which was enough conformation for Annabeth. She sent him a smug look. "No, Annabeth, I don't."

She nodded skeptically. "That's convincing."

"Annabeth-"

She squeezed her eyes closed, as if trying to block him out. "Percy, stop. I don't need this right now, and certainly not from you. We'll continue this later, okay?"

"But-"

"Please." She looked him straight on in the eyes, and he couldn't pretend to not be affected by them. They were stormy, like they always were when she was worried or angry. Or, in this case, both.

He set his jaw angrily. He hated leaving things open, but nodded reluctantly. "Fine."

"Fine." She continued walking towards the school, Percy in her wake.

"But just for the record," Percy said hurriedly, "I definitely do _not _like you. And I think you're being too assuming-"

She held up her hand. "Later."

This gesture only fueled his anger more, as he hated being ignored, but he relented, falling silent.

"Where's the office?"

He pointed in a vague direction, and Annabeth stopped again, her brows furrowed. "Don't be like this. Please."

He sighed, meeting her eyes again. "Take a right and a left. It's the door on the right."

She smiled a wan smile. "Thanks. I'll… I'll see you at lunch, I guess."

"Yeah," he agreed, turning away.

He didn't know why "The Scientist" by Coldplay suddenly started playing in his head.

_It's such a shame for us to part…_

_Oh, god, _he thought, running his hand over his face as he walked. _I'm going insane._

* * *

"Hi," Annabeth said. "I'm Annabeth Chase, and I'm new here…?"

"Oh, yes, I have your schedule right here," the office lady said in a drawling tone. She handed it to Annabeth with a tight, fake smile. If Percy were there beside her, Annabeth would have joked about the woman looking constipated.

"Thanks," Annabeth said, turning to leave.

"Young lady," the woman called after her. Annabeth looked back at her. "Next time, you should just go to the gym, where everyone else gets their schedule. I wasn't really _supposed _to give you your schedule, but I did it anyway- just this once. Okay?"

Annabeth sent a fake smile back at the woman. "Okay," she said in a too-sweet voice.

Once out of the office, she sighed, feeling anything but okay.

* * *

"Hello, class. My name is Mr. Blofis."

Percy's English class wasn't going to be that bad, or at least he hoped. His mom had told him about Mr. Blofis, who just happened to be his mother's boyfriend.

"Today, we're going to start reading _To Kill a Mockingbird…"_ the class was in the middle of grumbling when the door opened.

Twenty-five pairs of eyes turned to the person in the doorway. Percy inwardly sighed. It was Annabeth, looking sheepish.

"Sorry," she said. The apology was directed at Mr. Blofis, obviously, but she was looking at Percy as she said it.

Percy merely rolled his eyes, sending her a small smile. Annabeth smiled back, tearing her eyes to meet Mr. Blofis's.

"Oh, that's alright… Annabeth, is it?" he said, looking down at his roll. "You were the only one absent, but now everyone's here and ready to learn." He had a kind twinkle in his eye, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"Well then, Annabeth, why don't you take a seat next to Ms. Dare?" He motioned to a redheaded girl who, for some reason, was glaring holes at Annabeth. With an unsure smile at the angry redhead, she sat down in her seat.

"As I was saying, we're going to start reading _To Kill a Mockingbird, _which all of you were actually _supposed _to read over summer break…" he said, moving his glasses down his nose and looking over them. "Just out of curiosity, who actually did read the summer reading?"

Annabeth slowly raised her hand, looking around at everyone else in the class. They seemed suddenly very interested in their nails and binders.

"Only Ms. Chase? Well, that's a bit disheartening," he said. "I suppose that means that the rest of you will have to read chapters 1-5 by the next period."

The class, once again, started grumbling. Annabeth awkwardly looked down at her desk, not missing the continuous glare of 'Ms. Dare.'

Seriously, what was the girl's problem?

* * *

Surprisingly, Annabeth was really happy for school to be over with. She usually loved to learn, but she was exhausted.

Once she'd reached her room, she'd dropped her backpack off of her shoulders and thrust it on the floor, falling on her bed.

She was, admittedly, worried about Percy. He hadn't said a word to her in the car, and she wondered if he'd actually forgiven her for that little spat they'd had in the parking lot.

Still thinking about the fight, she heard the door open.

Percy entered, covering his eyes with his hand. "Are you decent?"

"Really, Percy? Really?"

He dropped his hand, smiling at her. "Well, I didn't know. You could've been ready to bathe or something."

She deadpanned. "I promise that in the event that I want to bathe myself that I will notify you immediately," she said, earning a snort. "Now, what do you want?"

His expression turned from smug and playful to sheepish. "I… Well, I sorta have a problem. With this." he approached her, thrusting _To Kill a Mockingbird _towards her.

"What's the problem? Don't tell me you have a book-a-phobia and that I have to explain the whole plot to you."

"Naw," he said, waving her off. "I can read it by myself. I just… I haven't ever told anyone this. No one knows except for my mom, and, well, I would ask her, but she's not here. So…" he hesitated. "I, uh, have dyslexia. It's when-"

"I know what it is," Annabeth said softly. "I have it, too. I just read a lot, I guess, so it doesn't bother me as much anymore."

"Oh," he said, apparently at a loss for words. "So, can you help me?"

She ruffled his hair, and he actually seemed to enjoy the attention. "Sure, Seaweed Brain. Anytime."

* * *

**I don't know what caused me to update twice in a day, but here you go. I tried to put a little more 'cutesy Percabeth' in there. I don't know if you'll like it.**

**It's longer, though, so I hope you do enjoy it.**

**Oh! I just wanted to ask, what song do you think defines Percabeth the best? Review and tell me. I'll listen to the ones you think define them the best, and the one I think is the best is the one I'll mention in future chapters.**

**I think that this chapter was my favorite to write. Probably why it was longer.**

**Also- MaydayParade8123 has helped me on this story a lot. More than I give her credit for. Some of the ideas I write here are inspired by her story, FAKE. **

**Review, Favorite, and Follow. (:**

**Love, Pepco**


	8. Impulses and Rambles

**Chapter 8- Impulses and Rambles**

"Annabeth!"

Annabeth shot up in her bed, dazed from sleep. She looked down on the floor to find a sleeping Percy, curled up with his copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird. _She had a rambling, random thought of _thank god he's almost finished reading that book since it's taken three months for him to read it _before realizing that it was her mother that was calling her name.

She heard the clicks of heels against marble approaching her door. _Oh god, oh god, _she thought hurriedly. If Athena found Percy in Annabeth's room…

So, Annabeth did exactly what any sleepy, anxious, irritable girl would do. She kicked him.

Too late, though, she realized that he'd do what any sleepy, grumpy, achy-teenage-boy-who-slept-on-the-floor-all-night- and-just-got-kicked would do. He let out a yelp.

"Shut up!" she whisper-screamed, her sleepy eyes wide. "Get under the bed! My mom's coming!"

That was enough to wake him up. he scooted under her bed, just in time for the door to open. Annabeth stood.

Athena raised a perfect eyebrow, looking at her daughter. "What was that noise…?"

Annabeth laughed a little nervously. "I-I stubbed my toe." She furrowed her brow when she heard a small snort of laughter that came under her bed.

"Mmm," hummed Athena disapprovingly. "I just wanted to let you know that we already have plans during fall break next week, so don't make any promises to your friends."

Annabeth sat down, pretending to nurse her 'sore' toe with her right hand. "What plans would that be?"

Athena sighed. "We're going to vacation at a-" she wrinkled her nose before continuing- "…farm owned by one of my dedicated clients. He offered to give us a guest room for the week. I didn't want to seem impolite, so I accepted his offer. I've known him for a while, so it would be only proper to go to his… farm." She rambled a bit, seemingly trying to convince herself of the necessity of going to the farm rather than convincing Annabeth.

"That's fine, mother," Annabeth said. "But what about Percy?"

Her mother wrinkled her nose again, as if it pained her to ever hear the words 'Percy' and 'farm' and preferably not in the same trail of sentences. "I suppose he must come along with us, since he has no place to go for the moment," she responded. "Tell him that we'll be leaving in two days." And with that, she closed the door behind her, the clicks of her heels receding.

Once Athena was gone, Annabeth let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Percy, you can come out now."

"I'm coming, dearest," he muttered, earning another kick from Annabeth. He groaned. "You better stop that. You're going to stub your toe again."

Sending him a small glare, she folded her arms and fell back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. "I can't believe it's actually been three months since I moved," she said. "It feels like it's only been a week."

"I know how you feel," Percy said, motioning for her to scoot over. When she begrudgingly did, he plopped down beside her. "I used to move all the time when I was little."

She glanced over at him. "Why?"

He sighed, looking like he didn't want to respond. "I… I was too bound to get into trouble back then. I just… I got angry a lot. I was angry at my dad for leaving and I guess I didn't know how to deal with the anger."

She was quiet for a second. "I understand. My step mom made my life a living hell for me. She didn't ever care about me at all, and my dad was too into his work to make sure that I was okay." She wouldn't cry. She'd cried too much in front of Percy before, and she wanted to make sure she didn't again.

However, he noticed the catch in her voice, the break in her words. "Annabeth… I know this is random, and a little weird, maybe, but I just want you to know that… well, I'll always be here. Even when we have one of our terrible arguments, you can still call me and talk to me if you need me right then. I can put my anger aside for a while. For you."

Annabeth sat up, letting her back fall softly against the wall and stretching her legs across Percy's. She looked down, grabbing his hand in an almost desperate, impulsive way, and fiddling with his fingers. Ignoring the burning feeling in her eyes, she kept looking down, trying to stop her vision from being so blurred. She squeezed her eyes closed once the tears got too thick.

Her throat was too constricted. She didn't have the voice to say two simple words.

She didn't have to. Percy already knew. He squeezed her fingers, feeling a tear fall on his hand. He, as impulsive as she was, suddenly leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later, Wise Girl," he whispered. Quietly, he exited her room.

Maybe subconsciously, her hand rose to her cheek, the one he'd just kissed, and graced over it like it was as fragile as thin ice.

It was the opposite of ice, though, she decided. His lips burned like fire against her skin.

* * *

The school day passed faster than a breeze. Annabeth hadn't said anything to Percy about the kiss, so he didn't bring it up, either.

So why did the silence bother him as they drove home?

"Annabeth," he said, his anxiousness getting the best of him, "I'm sorry about the kiss on the cheek. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or ruin what we had going in our friendship because you know how I tend to mess things up without even meaning to, and you can blame me, but I just-"

She held up a hand to stop his rambles. "It's fine, Perce," she assured. He felt his muscles relax.

Then he looked at her face. She was smirking in a teasing way.

He deadpanned, turning away. "Okay, okay, you don't need to tease me."

"I'm not teasing you!" she said indignantly, laughter in her words. "I'm just aware of the crazy crush you have on me."

His eyes widened, and for some reason that he didn't want to define his heart started beating faster. "What crush? I don't have a crush on you, Annabeth Chase."

"Lies don't make friends," Annabeth said, wagging her finger at him.

He furrowed his brow at her. "I'm not lying, Wise Girl, I honestly have no feelings for you. Like that."

"Like… what, exactly?" she asked, sending him a knowing smile.

"God, Annabeth, stop. I'm not talking to you about this. The subject is closed."

"Who says?" Annabeth said. "In case you forgot, there are _two _people in this conversation, and as long as one person is talking, the conversation is _wide _open."

"Okay, but you're talking to air," Percy muttered.

"Stop the car," Annabeth said suddenly. "STOP. THE. DAMN. CAR."

Afraid that she may kill him if he didn't relent, he pulled over and turned off the ignition.

She unbuckled her seatbelt, turning to face him. "Unbuckle your seatbelt," she instructed.

"Why?" he asked, but she ignored him, doing it herself.

"Follow me," she said vaguely, opening the car door and walking nowhere. He did as she said, albeit confused.

* * *

They were inside a condemned building. Plaster was stripped off of the walls, and light filtered through holes in the ceiling.

He turned a corner, and there was Annabeth. She stood against the wall, her arms crossed.

Once he approached her, he looked at her with questioning eyes. "Tell me that you don't have a crush on me after this," she muttered.

She grabbed his shirt, forcefully kissing him, and _oh my god, _Percy couldn't think because she was _Annabeth _and she was _kissing him _and he was in absolute _heaven. _She pressed him up against the peeling wall of concrete when he tried to pull away, and he realized that if he was ever in a relationship with her, she'd be the one in charge.

She finally pulled back, breathing a little heavily. "Tell me."

* * *

**Dun dun DUHN. Sorry for the cliffhanger, you guys. :P**

**Can I be honest for a second? I don't like this chapter. I feel like they're too bleh and it's too ramble-esque because really, I'm confused myself and I can't really formulate actual non-run-on sentences either.**

**But honestly. What is this chapter? I DON'T EVEN KNOW. It's just... uughghhgghhh can I go cry now?**

**Don't kill me.**

**Hope you liked the Percabeth, though. You people are so fabulous I don't even know what to do or say.**

**Tell me your thoughts in a review.**

**Much love, PepCo **


	9. Weren't Promises Made to be Broken?

**Chapter 9- Weren't Promises Made to be Broken?**

* * *

**A/N: I just want to announce that the awesome ****Qwerty616120**** and I are writing a story together! Check it out. The collab account is called ****Drinking in Qwerty****. I really hope you read it. :)**

* * *

She stared him square in the face, her eyes not moving from his. When he tried to look away, she tilted his chin upward so it was even more impossible to try and escape the answer she wanted.

"Percy." Her voice was exasperated, maybe a little breathless from the kiss, and sounded, to Percy, anyway, a little desperate. What was he supposed to say? Lie to his best friend and tell her _no, it didn't mean a thing _when it made him feel like his whole world was nothing but her?

Why did she have to be so… impossible? It was impossible to see inside her heart when she kept it under lock and key. It was impossible trying not to argue with her. It was impossible trying to just _talk _with her and making her understand what meaning his words had. She was too stubborn.

But, really, so was he. He knew he couldn't leave this open-ended, because he _hated that_,but how was he supposed to tell the truth?

He yanked his chin away from her grasp and turned around, walking to the car. _If you can't think of something to say, just run away, _he thought. He hated this. He wanted to tell her that yes, it did mean something and yes, he sort of may be falling in love with her. But he wouldn't. In that moment, he promised himself he wouldn't. _I'm not in love with Annabeth Chase, _his mind persisted, but he still didn't believe himself.

* * *

The car ride was quiet and lonely, even though she wasn't alone. Annabeth felt the tension, sitting heavy in the air between herself and Percy, and it made her even more tired of this terrible _unknowing. _

If it was anything Annabeth hated, it was not knowing something. Why did he insist on not giving her a straight answer? That was all she wanted.

But was it? What would she do if he told her he didn't feel anything? She was afraid she would get hurt, again, and their friendship might be ruined. But their friendship would never be the same if he said he _did _feel something. And relationships… All of her romantic relationships had ended in absolute disaster. She couldn't let it happen with anyone ever again- she'd promised herself that a long time ago.

Especially with Percy. She had to try _so hard _not to let her feelings get the best of her around him because he had so much influence on her. Another thing she hated was being out of control. And somehow, this strange boy sitting beside her, suddenly seeming foreign to her, was unknowingly causing her to spin out of control.

And she hated him for it.

She hadn't realized how much he had really meant to her until this moment, sitting in a silent car full of animosity. Why had it taken her so long to realize that she could never, ever leave Percy Jackson behind? And maybe, just maybe, she couldn't live without him?

_That's crazy, _her mind said, but the thoughts in her head were making her feel tipsy and she set her elbow below the side window, putting a hand to her temple.

Percy, probably not liking the silence much either, turned up the radio. "_You pull back… and you angle towards the window… And the rain is crashing down, and oh my god, you're beautiful…"_

Maybe it was accidental, or maybe it was on purpose, but upon hearing those lyrics Annabeth glanced over at Percy and realized that he was already looking at her. _Was it the lyrical relevance, maybe? _she thought, since she was leaning towards the window. Percy turned back to the wheel quickly, his cheeks blushing rose.

Finally, she felt the car come to a stop, and she hopped out of the car quicker than she could say _thank god._

* * *

Percy walked as slow as possible to the apartment, loitering for as long as he could. He was surprised Annabeth hadn't questioned him again about the kiss in the car, since she always wanted a healthy debate.

To be honest, though, he was completely relieved, because he didn't want to answer her. And, if he had his way, maybe he never would. Hopefully, she wouldn't bring it up again.

He made his way to the penthouse door, and it was, thankfully, already open a crack. He didn't want to face Annabeth more than he had to and surely not Athena.

However, when he actually entered the apartment, Athena was already standing in the doorway. She looked him over disapprovingly. "You need to pack for the… er… farm. We're leaving in an hour." Her heels clicked across the marble, heading back towards her office.

Percy actually didn't have anything against farms. From what his mother had told him, his father owned one on the edge of a beach. The idea of riding horses on the seashore was appealing to him, but he'd never actually been invited to his father's land. _Goes to show how much he cares about me_, Percy thought bitterly, heading to his room.

It didn't take long for him to pack. He just threw in a few arbitrary t-shirts that had been strewn around the room and some random pants. He didn't really care, and he couldn't focus on anything since Annabeth's "test".

Once he'd finished packing, he fell face-first on his bed, groaning into his pillow. Why did she have to be so hard to deal with?

* * *

She marked off ten things on her checklist, but she still felt like she was missing something. "Ugh!" she groaned indignantly. Why did she have spend time driving around after school? If it hadn't been for her stupid _feelings _they could have been home faster, and she could have had more time to pack up and plan. Now she just had to throw things in her carry on carelessly, and she felt herself die a little more inside every time she didn't fold something properly.

This was all Percy's fault. If he didn't have so much emotional influence on her, she wouldn't be this way. She sighed. Honestly, she knew deep down it wasn't him, but she _hated _taking the blame for things.

Finally, Athena yelled from the foyer for them to hurry, so she grabbed what was left of her belongings and stuffed them in her purse. _Here goes nothing, _she thought, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, good, you're ready," Athena said. Annabeth suddenly felt very small, because her mother looked like the most planned out person in the whole world. Well, she was, but… that wasn't the point. Athena's prim and proper red carry on bags were name brand leather, and she had her own checklist in her hand, checking off the last items on her list.

"Hmm, yes… check… check… and, check," Annabeth's mother muttered. Once she had finished, she folded the paper up neatly and placed it in her Coach purse. Turning her steely gaze on Annabeth, she raised an eyebrow. "Where is Perky?"

"Uhm," Annabeth said, trying not to laugh, "Percy is probably just lollygagging. I…" she hesitated. "I'll go get him."

Athena looked at her strangely, as if she suspected something was up, but Annabeth just turned to walk down the hallway, not meeting her eyes. She knocked on Percy's door.

"Percy! It's time to leave!" She didn't open the door like she often had in the past, just because she didn't want to cross that unwanted invisible boundary of privacy twice in the same day.

"'M coming," she heard him sigh. She walked quickly back to where her mother was, not wanting to meet his eyes when he opened the door. Or, really, not wanting to meet his eyes _ever, _lest he see the desperation in them.

"He's coming, Annabeth said to Athena, who nodded curtly. "Are we going to ride in your car, mom?"

"Well, we are going to take an airplane. This… farm… is down in Texas, a small place called Bolivar Peninsula."

Annabeth had never heard of the place, but it sounded fairly nice. "Yes, ma'am. Will we be driving in your car to the airport?"

Athena shook her head. "Argus will be driving us. I will sit in the front seat, and you and Perky can sit in the back." She turned on her heel, exiting the penthouse with her luggage in tow. Once Athena was in the hallway, she could hear her mother shouting to a bellboy- "Come retrieve my luggage, man! Isn't that your job?"

Annabeth shuddered slightly, glad she wasn't subjected to Athena's screaming. Percy came in the foyer in that exact moment, and her heart dropped.

"Cold?" he said, saying the first word since _it _had happened. Annabeth felt her heart drop at the sight of his eyes. They were the saddest she'd ever seen them.

She merely shook her head, pressing her lips into a thin line before gathering her own luggage and exiting the apartment, Percy following her.

This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

**Hey, guys! Uhm, I need to freak out a little bit, I hope you don't mind…**

**I'M SO HAPPY OHMYGODS YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SO HAPPY AHHHH! xD **

**I just love you so much. Okay. There. I'm finished spazzing for now x) **

**I really hate Chapter 8. I'm just putting that out there. I read over it and it's really too fast and short and ewww I just mimic shooting a finger gun in my brain every time I see it. Hahah, I suppose in a manner of speaking it was impulsive and full of rambles, hence the title.**

**I hope you like this chapter. It has a lot more inner turmoil within the characters and to me that's more fun to write then dialogue.**

**And **_**yes,**_**August1999****, the farm thing **_**is **_**meant to be a big event in the story :) Sorry if it seemed random.**

**Also, I've noticed that a lot of people might be semi-touchy with the whole "Avenged Sevenfold is for jocks" thing. But don't be. :) I like Avenged Sevenfold fine. Don't freak out shh it's okay xD**

**Tell me how you liked it- or didn't- in a review! :D**

**ALSO, as I mentioned before: I'm co-writing a story with the fabuloso writer, ****Qwerty616120****, and you should check out our collab account, called ****Drinking in Qwerty****. It's really fun to write, and if our scheduling works out we'll update every Wednesday. :)**

**Also, if you wanted to know the song name on the "radio" mentioned in the story, it's called "Eyes Closed" by one of my favorite bands, The Narrative. They're sorta undiscovered but I love them all the same :) **

**THANKS AGAIN I LOVE ALL OF YOU :) Shout-outs are next chapter!**


	10. Love is Clueless, and Destiny is Wishing

**Just as a warning, the A/N below is seriously going to be a complete MONSTER because I have so much to say :) So I apologize in advance.**

**Don't forget to check out my collab account, Drinking in Qwerty (I'm sorry I keep saying this over and over, but I just wanna get the word out! :D) that I've created ****with the fab Qwerty616120. I'll give you a special shoutout next chapter if you review and say "Done" when you've read, followed and/or favorited it. And a virtual cookie (::) I love you guys, and thanks so much for all you do. I made this chapter longer just to show my appreciation :) (Well, I couldn't sleep last night so I just wrote and wrote and wrote until my fingers were numb but... you know. Same difference)**

* * *

**Chapter 10- Love is Clueless, and Destiny is Wishing**

They'd finally made it to the airport, and Annabeth had never been so glad to leave Percy behind. Well, at least, be out of the same place alone with him. Walking to the boarding port, dragging her luggage in tow behind her, she stuffed her earphones in her ears and scrolled through her music with her free hand. Too full of thoughts to really pay attention to the selections, she sighed and settled on shuffle.

"_If you love somebody, better tell while they're here 'cause they might just run away from you… "_

How relevant the lyrics seemed… _Thanks, Imagine Dragons, _she thought, rolling her eyes. She found herself humming along with the tune, but she still couldn't drown out her thoughts. He'd managed to flood her with an ocean of _Percy _and she somehow had a wandering thought that she _wouldn't have it any other way._

She couldn't wait until she could stop coming up short of responses and explanations. Relationships were hard, and she didn't want to deal with the emotional baggage that went along with them. She just wanted to be friends.

But she didn't. It was extremely confusing, even to her. Lately, anything pertaining to Percy meant contradictory thoughts that followed in the shadows her emotions cast.

She finally found her seat and settled in, putting her luggage in the compartment above her. She realized, with an almost-dizzying pang in her chest, that Percy was right behind her. He was holding out a hoodie, the one she'd accidentally kept from him when they'd had their reunion a few months ago.

He sent her an unsure, lopsided smile. "You left your jacket on the car seat, and I thought you might want it."

She faked a smile, and he must have known it was fabricated because his own smile faltered. "No, that's okay, it's yours anyway," she waved him off, but he just hung it over her arm.

"No, Wise Girl, it's yours. And that's final." His eyes were looking so intensely into hers that she couldn't hold his gaze, instead moving to sit down. He didn't ask her if he could sit next to her, like she thought he might since he had been so unsure in the aftermath of the kiss, but rather sat with no question.

She didn't really want to sit next to him, as it made her feel even more pressured, like a shaken-up bottle of Pepsi. She busied herself with flipping through her music selections arbitrarily, and she wondered if Percy could tell that she was avoiding conversation.

He shifted in his seat, as if trying to get her attention, but she just turned her head away and looked out the window.

* * *

Why wouldn't she just look at him in the eye?

He was so confused, and he was sure she was, too. There were a few questions he wanted her to answer _honestly_ and not just falsify. He knew she probably would, because she was the queen of not wanting to feel a thing or show that she felt anything.

He sat there, not knowing for how long, just pondering Annabeth and wishing for something else to think about.

But no matter how he tried, she filled his mind like an endless sky. He glanced at her again, shifting in his seat, but she just pulled back towards the small window, not even sparing him a look. He'd even settle for a glare now. Anything to look into her eyes.

He decided he'd take a card from her deck, reaching in his pocket and taking out his phone. Once he slid his finger to unlock the screen, it was already in the middle of a song.

"_Resolutions, and lovers in the kitchen… Love is clueless and destiny is wishing… This is my heart, it's on the line…_"

He wished he could put his heart on the line for her. Instead, he felt like his heart was being strangled by the line she wouldn't let him cross, like he was suffocating with no air to sustain him. She left his whole being in shock, his throat constricted and his eyes hungry for her gaze.

_Just talk to her, _he thought. But then he suddenly wondered if she was avoiding him, or if she was regretting kissing him.

Did he regret kissing her? Hard to say. He didn't find himself worthy to make judgments between the truth and lies anymore, even to his own questions or opinions. He wondered if maybe he'd been just avoiding the whole 'relationship' idea with Annabeth.

He couldn't make himself admit to even himself that he really, as in, really, was ready to start something with Annabeth. He worried, and that was so unlike the carefree kind of person Percy usually was. What had she done to him? He'd changed since he finally met up with her again, that was for sure.

But it was as if there was a wall, a levee, trying to keep his emotions from flooding his brain, one that he'd subconsciously built up to keep his façade strong so she wouldn't realize.

But he was already too obvious: she'd asked him a million times about his 'secret' crush on her. He'd denied it every single time, exempting the time of the kiss. But it wasn't like she believed him. Maybe she knew. And, if she already knew, what was there to hide?

_Nothing._

And, in that moment, Percy decided that he wouldn't hold back anymore. The levee broke, and he felt a burden lift from his shoulders.

All he had to do was tell her.

* * *

Annabeth didn't know when she'd fallen asleep, but she had odd, dramatic dreams of Percy. Percy fighting mythical monsters, Percy controlling the very ocean itself, Percy protecting her from an evil man with golden eyes, one that kept chasing them around. And then she'd protected him, intercepting a sword for him, and as she lay there dying on a chaise, Percy confessed his love to her before she died. And then he kissed her, and she suddenly came back to life.

She jolted awake. One of her earphones had fallen out of her ear, and she sleepily glanced up and, with a falling feeling in her stomach, realized she was leaning on Percy's shoulder.

He didn't look as if he cared, playing Angry Birds on his phone. And _no, _he didn't look adorable with his tongue sticking out of his mouth in focus. He didn't seem to really realize that she was awake.

She stretched, causing him to look down at her and, for some reason, smile really widely. "Hey, you're up! Okay, I've been trying to best this level for an hour, and I cannot for the life of me get this stupid bird to get those stupid pigs."

She deadpanned, or tried to, but his smile was contagious. She hadn't seen him so happy in the whole time she'd known him, and she wondered why the sudden change of mood. "I had a really weird dream," she mumbled, sleep still affecting her words.

He paused his game, taking out an earphone from his ear. "What about?"

"Well, I guess we were in some sort of mythical universe, and you… well, you controlled water and fought monsters, I guess."

He laughed, and it made her blush how confident he seemed. She was suddenly very aware that her head was still on his shoulder, and straightened her back.

"Wow, that's pretty awesome," he said. "I wish I could do that in real life, though. Did you have any cool powers?"

"No, not physically," she said, pondering. "Though, I suppose logic is my weapon of choice."

"And, obviously, you already do have that power in real life." He laughed again, ruffling her hair playfully.

"What happened to make you so happy all of the sudden?" she asked, honestly curious.

"Ha, if I told you, you'd probably hit me," he said. She rolled her eyes, but didn't press him for details. If she was being honest, she was a little scared to find out what it was.

"Fair enough," she relented. "Now, about this game." she took his phone from his hands and started to play. She finished in under five minutes, and he looked at her in awe.

"How… how did you do that?!"

She smiled coyly, placing his phone back into his frozen hands. He was still staring at her, his mouth agape, and she blushed again.

"You're pretty when you blush, Annabeth Chase," he quipped, smiling and turning back to his game.

She was at a loss for words. And maybe that was the best thing, since Annabeth usually had too much to say.

* * *

Percy wouldn't be bluffing if he said he liked her head on her shoulder, because he honestly seriously did. She almost made him feel like a druggy because of what she gave him- when she wasn't with him, he felt withdrawal, and when she was, he felt inexplainably content. Except, with her, there would never be a reason for drugs or alcohol.

He smiled. He liked this. Just the carefree feeling that he wasn't chained to worry anymore. He would convince her that she felt the same way, and that she didn't have to hide her feelings anymore. He'd bring out the best in her, he vowed he would.

He was just so… happy. Annabeth still looked afflicted, but she didn't send him a fake, strained smile. She just looked… unsure. And that was reasonable.

He sure did like to see her blush. It was sort of a goal for him.

The pilot finally announced that they'd arrived, so he and Annabeth grabbed their luggage and headed down the strip of walkway. Along the way, a very pretty lady with a gruff-looking man beside her stopped Percy, Annabeth behind him.

"I just wanted to say," she started, her beautiful eyes twinkling, "that I think you two make the cutest couple!" She made a little squeal at the end of her sentence, and the gruff man scoffed and turned to the window. It took Percy a second to realize what she said.

Simultaneously, Annabeth and Percy said, "Oh, we're not-"

The lady cut them off. "Just wait," she said, winking. "You'll see that… well, you'll see. It's obvious the both of you are holding back from explaining your feelings, and it would be smart for the both of you to talk out your problems sooner then later."

This occurrence was so odd that it rendered the both of them speechless. The pretty lady turned to Annabeth and handed her- was that a fortune cookie?- and motioned for her to lean down so she could whisper into her ear. She did so, and Percy wondered what the heck was going on.

The lady folded Annabeth's fingers over the cookie, winking again at her. "Goodbye, you two, and good luck!" she said, waving, and Percy took that as a sign to leave her presence. He smiled, sending Annabeth a 'wtf?' sort of look, but she just shrugged and bit her lip. He turned around, wondering again what the woman said to Annabeth… and what the fortune cookie might say.

* * *

"Don't wait too long… you know he won't. He's already come to terms with his feelings, and so should you, dear."

The strange lady's words echoed in her mind, leaving her wondering how a random lady could know so much of what they both held in their hearts. It was odd, that was for sure, but Percy didn't seem as affected as she was. If anything, he looked a little more uplifted.

"Let me take your bags, milady," he joked, bowing for the complete dramatic effect. She rolled her eyes.

"I can deal with them just fine, thank you," she said.

"Ah, I forgot that you liked to be independent- nothing wrong with that," he added quickly, as if trying to avoid a fight at all costs. She didn't want to argue with him, either, especially with all this stuff on her mind.

"Um, Percy," she said. "Athena said to meet her at the main counter… I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm going to head to the bathroom."

He simply nodded at her, smiling and walking to the afore mentioned destination.

She walked into the bathroom, waiting until no one was washing their hands or able to look at her, and then cracked open the fortune cookie.

"_In dreams and in love, there are no impossibilities." _

She rolled her eyes to herself. Of course it was some kind of sappy love quote. She thought of throwing it away, but at the last second stuffed it in her pocket, thinking that maybe she could keep it as a keepsake. Yes, maybe she was turning into a sappy romantic, but she blamed Percy.

Heading out of the bathroom, she thought that maybe, just maybe, she could give Percy a try. But she wasn't promising anything.

* * *

**Here comes the shoutouts! **

**Favoriters: **

******Anxious A, Artemis-gurl, Demigodling Marauder, Elia19, FlorenceBradbury, IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide, KVeyne, Kyra is Thaa Name, Les 3 Magnifiques, LongLiveLaughter, NikiD1233, PercyJacksonObsession, PercyandAnnabeth4eva, Qwerty616120, RastafarienEnderman, RespectMusicJC, RiptideZ, Silver Ride, Smurful99, Storylover888, T1nyDanc3r, The Sleeping Meerkat, Wings101, Wise-Girl 826, alayaJackson, bookworm0398, chunsaAthena-chan, dhmhtra375, hopesolofan, percy jackson forev, rEdbUrst, randomsheller1235, s-t-o-r-ylover56,**** turquoiserainlilies.**

******Followers:**

**20Aphrodite11, Alas De Fuego, AnnabethandPercyJackson17, AnxiousA, Artemis-gurl, August1999, Black Roses for Hades girl, BoBoHobo, Book3, CrackHeadBlonde, Demigodling Marauder, Elia19, FlorenceBradbury, Gallifrey Dweller, IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide, ImTiredRightNow, Kyra Is Thaa Name, Les 3 Magnifiques, LongLiveLaughter, LordOfFigaro, 5, MyCheekMeat, NikiD1233, Oruno, Partenersintime, Percy Jackson Annabeth Chase, PrcyandAnnabeth4eva, PervyPercy, Qwerty616120, Random Reader 14, RastafarienEnderman, RespectMusicJC, Revenge of the Red Pen (still love your name!), Silver Ride, T1nyDanc3r, The Sleeping Meerkat, ThreeBulletsAtTheDangerParade (I'll always love your name xD), Wise-Girl826, alextremo147, allen r, alyaJackson, bookworm0398, cantbetamed5656, dhmhtra375, everett2, freedompeace, fruitynf, halfbloodMarauderX, mhalopoff, midnight luna 18, missmiadanelle, myfabulousity, of-goatees-and-awesomeness, p4d, peachtree3, percy jackson forev, randomsheller1235, runfromthewildbitch, slenderniece, stepsharris-multifandoms, strikenotes, thequeenofawesomeness712, trio-of-friends, turquoiserainlilies, venkiiyer16, way2hwt4u, xxShafferxx, xylea13, zerowinz.**

**Reviewers (after Chapter 5):**

******Partenersintime (awe, thanks!), everett2 (sorry about the rushing, I felt the same way :P), August1999 (anytime, anytime!), Revenge of the Red Pen (you're really nice, thanks :D), DragonClan (thanks!), randomsheller1235 (awwe, you're sweet, thanks!), PJOSeaOfMonstersFan (HAYMITCH hahahah ;D), ThreeBulletsAtTheDangerParade (don't worry, Percy is a closet Avenged Sevenfold fan- he just won't tell Annabeth ;) Thanks!), Wise-Girl 826 (Thank you!), Meep (you're always so sweet, thank you :D), Guest (yeah, I realized that when I wrote them... but whatever, Swifty isn't that bad... is it? Thanks for reviewing, I enjoyed that :D), Qwerty616120 (Thank you xD Like your stories aren't GENIUS too? Pahlease), Guest (I think you just made my year), myfabulousity (I love the enthusiasm, thank you ;D), allen r (just wait and see...), IllBeThinkingBoutPJOWorldwide (just because I wanna bother you with my cliffys :) just kidding just kidding. You're so adorable xD), Duane (that made my heart explode you're so nice), LongLiveLaughter (thanks xD), Demigodling Marauder (I love your username!), BoBoHobo (yup, they're pretty awesome), Guest (Thank you!), mismiadanelle (Thank you, you made me blush, stahp). **

**I'm really thankful to all of you. Virtual cookies for all (::) (::)** **Sorry, I know virtual cookies are tacky, but what can ya do? :P I would give each and every one of you a real cookie if I could. **

**Also, I think (as you can probably tell) that I'm now extremely obsessed with the Night Visions album... So you might see me quoting a lot of Imagine Dragons from here on out. Sorreh ;p **

**Did any of you recognize the "pretty lady" in the story? I know I did ;) I'll send you a shout-out next chapter if you tell me who you think it was. (It's pretty obvious, but you know whatever xD) Wow, maybe I'm now obsessed with giving shoutouts. (Honestly, it's pretty fun)**

**I guess this A/N wasn't _too _long... me and my misconceptions.**

**Much love, PepCo :) **


	11. Limitless

**Hey, guys, PepCo here. Here's your shoutouts:**

**Many thanks to ****alyaJackson**** (thank you so much :D) and **** Bookworm19980015**** (you're so sweet omfg I think I just died and went to heaven, thank you so much) for reading the collab story, **_**Accidental Kings and Queens, **_**written by myself and ****Qwerty616120**** on our collaborative account, ****Drinking in Qwerty****. I'm still open to giving out shout-outs to anyone who will review "Done" once you've read **_**Accidental Kings and Queens, **_**so there's nothing to lose here! :) **

**With the pretty lady thing… It was pretty obvious it was Aphrodite/Venus, wasn't it? xD So the people who got that right were ****Revenge of the Red Pen**** (the farm thing might or might not be surprising, I don't know what you'll think! Just wait and see…), ****Qwerty616120 ****(Wow, you got Ares **_**and **_**Aphrodite- not that that's any surprise. And no, I don't mind at all! I wrote some Percabeth just for you ;D), ****August1999 ****(Thank you, you're really nice to say so!) ****s-t-o-r-ylover56**** (I love reviews like yours :D Thank you!) Guest (yes, we certainly are!**** I hope you enjoy it), and JKN (yeppers!) **

**Also, an honorable mention to ****IllBeThinkingAboutPJOWorldwide****… You don't know how much your review meant to me xD That made me so happy, I just didn't know what to do… except to write another chapter, of course! Hahah, so this chapter is dedicated to you. Happy reading! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 11- Limitless**

Athena, of course, had noticed her daughter's movements toward that _boy _were a little strained, as if Annabeth was holding back, as if she wanted to give him more attention but was afraid to. And, knowing Annabeth, that wasn't like her daughter at all. She'd guessed a while back that they'd had something between them, but nothing serious… until right before they left to go on this "vacation".

She knew this would happen, but she still let it go. _For the client, _she thought.

* * *

"Perky, get your things together," Ms. Olympia told him with a firm look in her eyes. She already looked disgusted enough from her heels sinking into the mud, so Percy decided that maybe it might be smart to just be "Perky" for a while.

Annabeth smirked, mouthing "Perky" to him when her mother turned away to flick mud off of her shoe. He just shook his head at her and shrugged as if to say _I don't really mind. _

Truth was, he really didn't care. Athena could throw anything at him now and he'd stay invulnerable to any insult. He wouldn't ever leave Annabeth- he'd promised that to himself a long time ago. Not unless she wanted him to, and he hoped that wouldn't ever happen.

The "farm" Athena had been so revolted by didn't actually look like a farm. It was some sort of beach house, up on stilts in case of large waves that might crash on the shore and that looked about five stories high. It had a beachy vibe that made Percy feel giddy inside. If he had to name a place he loved most in the world, it would definitely be the beach.

Annabeth was staring in awe at the building, probably because of the architectural design. The walls facing the beach were made of glass, probably so you could just sit on the couch and watch the tide. Percy didn't believe that that would give the beach enough justice, as he loved the whole experience of getting sand everywhere, getting tanned and collecting beach glass and smooth seashells, feeling the ocean foam over his feet.

And he wanted to share the blissful beach moments all with Annabeth. His two favorite things in the whole entire world, together? He hoped it would be as great as he thought it would be.

* * *

Annabeth couldn't stop looking at her surroundings. How could her mother have, in any universe, found this place repulsive? It was so accurately placed, so well designed, that she never wanted to leave until she'd studied the different molds and looked at every inch of the place. Finally, Percy poked her back, jolting her out of her dreamland, and she sent a glare at him that had no bite in it. He grinned, motioning her to grab her stuff and follow- was that a _butler_?!- to their guest rooms. Exactly how big was this place?

The butler led them all the way up intricate spiral staircases, stopping after they'd walked all the way to the fourth floor. He opened their doors, Percy's then Annabeth's, but stopped them before they walked in.

"I have to ask you to please not disturb the master's floor, which is right above this floor," he said. He turned to Annabeth. "If you wish to see your mother, she is on the floor below." Bowing slightly, he bid them good day and walked down the stairs.

Annabeth shot Percy a _that was weird _kind of face, but he just shrugged and went into his room, not even bothering to take his bags from the hallway. Annabeth watched, disapproving, as he just fell face-first into his bed and groaned in a pleased way. His voice was muffled as he said, "It's so soffftttt…"

"Okay, dope," she said, _not _in an slightly adoring way. And, _no_, she didn't grin at his happy moans of comfort. "I hope you enjoy your new girlfriend," she joked.

Unfortunately, he took it completely the wrong way. In a sudden instant, he somehow flipped on his back, jumped off of the bed, and raced toward her, banging his head on the door frame.

"What- _owowow- _what did you say?!" She'd never seen him look this way- hopeful, happy, angry. The emotions swirled around in his eyes, and the intensity caused her to step back. He rubbed his head and winced, murmuring "ow" under his breath as he looked at her.

"I just… I just meant…" Suddenly the words died in her mouth. With this look on his face, how could she tell him that it had just been a stupid joke?

He suddenly dropped his hand. His brows were still furrowed, as if he was surprised and mad at the same time, but those emotions didn't pertain to the situation at all. He just stared at her, seconds passing with each of her skipping heartbeats.

And, _oh god, _she couldn't breathe at all. Everything stopped as he hesitantly leaned forward and-

He waited. With a pang, she realized he wouldn't do anything without her permission, that he was letting her control the situation. He was so tempting, _so tempting _that she couldn't handle it, but she closed her eyes and looked down at her bags.

"I… I have to unpack," she diverted lamely. Not meeting his eyes, she pulled a bag strap over her shoulder and entered her room, closing the door quietly.

* * *

There was a whisper of finality when the door closed behind her, and it resounded hard against Percy's ears. He raised his hand back to his bruise, rubbing it and closing his eyes tightly, cursing repeatedly under his breath.

He fell back on his bed, looking at the creamy-colored ceiling, the soft lamp casting a golden glow against the wall. Golden like Annabeth's hair….

He turned on his stomach, groaning loudly into the softest pillow he'd ever felt before.

He'd rather have Annabeth then any of this stuff.

* * *

"Percy, wake up!"

Someone was hitting Percy repeatedly on the back with a fluffy pillow, and he couldn't say it felt bad, because it actually felt the opposite. "Mmmmm," he hummed, liking the attention.

"You said you wanted to go to the beach!" Annabeth said in an annoyed tone.

He shot up, his hair splaying out in each direction. "The beach!" he flew out of bed, grabbing Annabeth's wrists and dancing her in a circle. "I totally forgot!" He started to run down the stairs, but Annabeth was too slow.

"Slow down, Percy, I'm going to trip!" she yelped. He sighed, impatient, and decided to carry her bridal style down the stairs.

"Stop!" she laughed. "Put- me- down!" she said in between fits of laughter, and Percy just kept running, his laugh mingling with hers. "You're going to trip and fall and I'm going to break something!"

He only slowed then, giving her a _really? _look. "You're only worried about if _you're _going to break something? What about me, huh?" he pretended to be affronted.

"If you fall, you're going to fall on me!" she said, "so I'm going to soften your fall if you fall on me!"

He shook his head and let her out of his arms, only then realizing that she was in a bathing suit and accidentally giving her a once over. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, trying to order his face to stop blushing. It didn't work.

"Oh my god," she said, "you just looked at my body!"

"So?" he asked, trying _so hard _to be nonchalant and not go insane just by being with her. _Keep it together, Perce, _he thought.

"So, you-" she stopped mid-sentence, instead just shaking her head. He wondered what she was going to say, but didn't question her motives.

"Annabeth Chase, we must go beaching!" he said dramatically, grabbing her hand and racing along the sand, the tide trying to lap at their feet and wash away their footprints.

He danced with her, pulling her around in circles and relishing in her laughter. Her hair-tie fell out from the force of their motion and her hair escaped, falling in curly waves around her shoulders.

_Wow, _he thought. Actually, that was all he could think when he looked at her.

_Wow._

* * *

Not feeling comfortable with Percy's eyes on her, Annabeth shifted her gaze to the sand and sat down.

"Beaching?" she asked. "That's out of context. Unless you're saying that we're stranded or something."

He held up a hand. "Okay, okay, Annabeth Chase, I have now entered that forever into my brain."

She smirked. "Good."

It was silent for a while, but Percy suddenly turned to her. "Annabeth, can I ask you something?"

Annabeth froze. "…What do you want to ask?"

He turned his eyes to the ocean, and he set his jaw, but Annabeth didn't think that he looked angry this time- just conflicted. "Why won't you kiss me?"

She looked as his profile, as he wouldn't look at her, but then looked at the ground. She sifted sand through her fingers, feeling her emotions slip through her control as well. "Percy. Look at me."

He did so with no hesitation, as if he'd been fighting to look away from her. She sighed. She didn't want to face him, or her feelings.

She bit her lip before letting the words rush out, "I'm really sorry, but I'm just scared that we'll end up not together and then you'll leave or I'll leave and then I'll be heartbroken and I just can't deal with any more heartbreak, I _can't, _and I need you to understand that I don't know what I want. I _don't know _myself so I can't tell you what I want to do. Okay?" That's the problem. That's why I won't kiss you." She blushed slightly and turned her face away, feeling a little embarrassed from her ramble.

"I won't ever make you do anything you don't want to," Percy said, tipping her chin up so she'd meet his eyes. "Never."

She closed her eyes, and Luke flashed back to her in an instant. She realized that Percy was so unlike him… she could trust Percy.

She did trust Percy.

Meeting his eyes, she held back the tears for as long as she could and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. Her tears fell from her closed eyes and she tasted the saltiness, and the taste reminded her of Percy. He tasted of ocean.

He was the ocean, in the sense that he was endless. They were limitless. There were no more boundaries left in that moment- they crumbled and fell like Annabeth's tears.

For the first time since she'd met Percy, Annabeth allowed herself to fall a little bit in love with him.

* * *

**Song for this chapter: "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay. Hope you enjoyed the chapter… we're getting there :D**

**Anyone know who the client is? Hmmm...**

**Much love, PepCo :) **


End file.
